Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

36 reviews

nicoreads333's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

I read this book on a flight from the UK to Texas, and I was riveted. I couldn't put it down. I had heard so many good reviews of this book, but I wasn't sure if it had been overhyped (like so many other books on booktok), but I personally believe it lived up to it's name. I don't know if I loved it more for the adventure/fantastical elements or the sweet love story or because I related so well to the main character. Whatever the case, it was exciting and cozy and kept me entertained on the longest flight of my life to date. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence and Blood

ramakn22's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Child abuse, Trafficking, Violence, and Sexism

valpuri's review

dark funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Blood, War, Violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Classism

Minor: Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Child death

kathrynok's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Ableism

Minor: Death of parent

mmefish's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

I've been enjoying "Half A Soul" up until the very end—even with all its  plotholes, somehow repetitive writing, at times wonky dialogues and a caricatorius villian—but the last sentence spoiled the effect. If I'm not mistaken, This MC's "condition" is an allegory to autism, and if so, then the whole message about being accepted as you are, deserving love even if you're different etc. gets destroyed by the end of the novel.

In the epilogue, after the story already came to it's natural—and satisfying—conclusion, the MC, apparently, somehow gets her soul restored. It's a terrible decision that erases all the character growth and quite literally the whole point of the story.

 
It could be a nice, heart-warming fantasy romance but ended up being an OK-written underbaked Disney-like adventure with a shaky background instead.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Child death and Murder

avie_j's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent and Violence

kelleykamanda's review

adventurous 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

Such a fun, romantic read. Not cheesey and sexual, just a slow burn. Highly recommend to my cozy fantasy lovers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, and Confinement

Moderate: Terminal illness, Bullying, Child abuse, and Ableism

Minor: War, Violence, Blood, Child death, and Death of parent

meshell's review

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

I enjoyed this pride and prejudice-esque regency style novel with some depth and social commentary beyond the fluff, but generally lighthearted and heartwarming.

It reminds me a bit of some of Gail Carriger's work, specifically the Soulless series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: War and Physical abuse

jaqylantern's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

Easy, delightful read. This was like Alice in Wonderland met the Pink Carnation series. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Ableism, and Violence

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