Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

251 reviews

msradiosilence's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Racism, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcohol, Confinement, Blood, Violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Colonisation, Gore, War, Misogyny, Cursing, Torture, Vomit, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical content, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

magnan1mouse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Rape, Police brutality, Death, Confinement, War, and Misogyny

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Murder, Grief, and Slavery

Minor: Child death, Medical trauma, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts

bibbityhobbity's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Just read it. Don’t look it up, just read it!!!
If you like a strong but flawed female badass character set on revenge, you’ll love it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, Sexism, and War

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Gore, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Torture, War, and Addiction

aolney's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Addiction, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Torture

Moderate: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Sexual assault, Body horror, Grief, Domestic abuse, War, Ableism, Body shaming, Murder, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Misogyny, Body shaming, Classism, Colonisation, Murder, Torture, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape

jessiereads98's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

4.75

Iron Widow is amazing. The story is fast paced and every time I put it down, I immediately wanted to pick it back up. All of the characters were complex and dimensional. I love how Xiran Jay Zhao wrote all of the female characters, especially Wu Zetian, and the exploration of how the society subjugates women and what that turns them into. The plot twist was surprising without seeming to come completely out of left field for the sake of having one. 

This does at times read heavily YA, with the points being made feeling a little blunt or clunky rather than completely well integrated in the story so that the reader easily arrives at them. I think the story overall may have been stronger if it leaned heavier adult or new adult. My only real complaints are that occasionally the diction threw me a bit out of the story, and the beginning is a bit exposition heavy.

Overall, I’m really looking forward to the sequel.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Death, and Murder

Minor: Blood, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Child abuse, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and War

blackberryjambaby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gore, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, War, Torture, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, Classism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Child abuse, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Outing, and Grief

michmoo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.5

The ending - what?!? 

Also the entire book - what?!? My brain does not have the capacity to fully comprehend all of the many insane things that were happening throughout this book. Amazing.

I am a fan of how this book handled the (actual) love triangle too - it is the strongest shape!

Also, I do love a main character that can just be unapologetically murderous. Yes, kill and enact revenge upon everyone who has wronged you baby, go!

Highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, War, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, Violence, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief and Sexual violence

Minor: Sexual content and Colonisation

ender24's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

DAMN.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Gaslighting, Genocide, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, War, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, War, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Trafficking, Addiction, Violence, Child death, Misogyny, Torture, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Grief and Xenophobia