Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

22 reviews

kingcrookback's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted 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

This was lovely. It's relatively low-stakes compared to the books I typically read, but it still tapped into some important moral considerations. And as fairies were historically sometimes used to explain neurodivergence before it was recognized as such, I think Atwater's worldbuilding was pretty clever. I found both Dora and Elias compelling and endearing. My only real criticism is that the ending wrapped up a bit quickly for my tastes; I would have liked to have seen a bit more of their lives after the greater resolution of the plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Ableism, and Classism

Moderate: War, Physical abuse, Blood, and Kidnapping

Minor: Violence

sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Child abuse

Minor: Child death, Physical abuse, Gore, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Abandonment, War, Violence, Slavery, Death of parent, and Blood

evarinya's review

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Slavery, Emotional abuse, War, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Kidnapping, Blood, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Medical content, and Terminal illness

mybookishdelights's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

This is a fun historical fantasy romance with some social commentary weaved throughout. The story was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages and the romance sweet enough to make me smile. The characters were a bit flat so it was missing that for me as a character-driven reader. I really liked the main character and her lack of awareness of when she was committing a social faux pax. I hated her aunt. I also didn't like the epilogue at the end. It felt disjointed and

was kind of annoying that Elias fell in love with Dora for exactly how she was, which was romantic, only for it to change in the epilogue that she became "whole" again. Didn't like it.

CAWPILE Score: 7.71 = 4.25 stars
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 7
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 8

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Violence, War, Slavery, and Physical abuse

Minor: Death of parent and Child death

PTSD and disassociation

mooshake's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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? Yes

5.0

i knew i was in for a good time when i read the dramatis personae and the villain was solely described as "owner of many expensive jackets"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Child abuse, and Ableism

Moderate: Physical abuse and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: War

paniquemecanique's review

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

4.0

AHHHH THAT WAS SO GOOD
this was the loveliest cottage core regency era one shot fantasy novel EVER! 
I will always live a book with a female character so different and weird that she feels like no one understands her (wonder what that's about.....) and this one  was perfect. The character development and perception of the characters was deep and nuanced and ever changing, and I really fell in love with all of them.
The book also explores family dynamics in a very traumatising way tbh ahah but it is appreciated to have a very nuanced approach of it. 
Overall the biggest flaw of this book is that it is not longer, nor is it a series. I definitely think that we needed much more to explore and understand this world and these characters,  especially Dora's real power and how it becomes and advantage. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Violence, and Physical abuse

dogearedbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content, Death, and War

Minor: Physical abuse

novathereader's review

lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

I enjoyed the beginning, and while during the middle (about 40-65%) I was starting to get a little bit bored, at about 70% ish it really got me invested again and I stayed up past 1am to finish it. I really like what the author decided to do with the end,

with Dora not getting the other half of her soul back in order to be "fixed", which I think would have been kind of sad if she had, as Dora at the end would have been a completely different character from the Dora we followed the rest of the novel, and the person Elias fell in love with

. I really liked Dora as the main character and while I think the writing was a bit repetitive sometimes, I still enjoyed the book.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Physical abuse

btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious reflective fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism and Ableism

Moderate: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: War

bookishflower's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Physical abuse, War, and Pregnancy