Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

58 reviews

ireadinbed's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved the entire experience of reading this book. 

It gave me the same feelings I often had reading books as a child. I cannot remember the last time I felt so well immersed. It did a good job of dropping red herrings do I couldn't quite figure things out whilst also giving me enough crumbs that my fairy story loving brain was a buzzing!

I found parts of it quite dread inducing but in a fun way. Like it was surprisingly scary, I didn't expect it!

I connected a lot with the characters and some over arching themes about what desperation and bad luck can do to us.

Just genuinely very well done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Body horror

Moderate: Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

courtneyfalling's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I love Erin Craig's writing style so much, this mysterious and dreamy, dark and fairytale-inspired historical fiction with struggling eldest daughters growing into adulthood. The only reason I didn't give this higher than 4 stars is that the ending felt pretty sudden—like I wanted more with the final confrontation

between Ellerie and the Dark Watchers' queen

, with Ellerie and Whitaker, with Ellerie's parents and family. But I will 100% auto-read anything Erin Craig publishes now after both Small Favors and House of Salt and Sorrows. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Pregnancy and Misogyny

Bees

vexedst's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Death, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Pregnancy

oglopfabool's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

kelanor's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Slow, creeping dread. Nail-biting tension, yet still maintains a dreamy, fairytale feeling. I loved this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Animal death

elderflower's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I was expecting a sweet, historical romance, but got a horror novel instead. Horror novels are not my thing and this one was definitely creepy. It wasn’t necessarily a bad horror novel, but the advertising did not communicate the fact that it was a horror novel. It was a bit predictable and cliché though. 
Songs:

• Chelsea by Phoebe Bridgers- this one doesn’t fit very well, but I got the same vibes from this song and this book
• august by Taylor Swift- for Rebecca and Sam 
• Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson- for Ellerie

Similar reads:

• The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson- if you want a younger, cleaner, and more christian version of this book then The Monster in the Hollows is the book for you! 
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. R**ling (god I hate to write her name)- I was reminded of Ginny’s storyline while reading this book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Minor: Suicide, Ableism, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Gun violence

more content warnings: ableist language, cheating

j_emerson18's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love everything about this book. This author has outdone herself once again and I sit in awe at the world I've just left. The story is fantastic, the characters compelling, and the plot twists jaw dropping. I will fully rank this in my top 10 books ever read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Read this book. It's a necessity and honestly no regrets in reading it.

zahraa_aj's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

<b><i>
“Others see me as a means to an end…but to you, I was only ever a man.”
</i></b>

I'm in love with this book and have no words for the excitement I felt reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

britni_library's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Murder, and Religious bigotry

sennaje's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Blood