Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

44 reviews

risten's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Classism, and Trafficking

Moderate: Medical content, Child abuse, Sexism, Ableism, Bullying, Murder, Blood, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and War

micheala's review against another edition

5.0

This was such a cute romance. Like there was nothing ground breaking about it, but I'm such a sucker for a low angst romance. 

It was a particularly pleasant surprise as I had previously picked up Ten Thousand Stitches by the same author and read the first chapter and didn't really enjoy it. So I was a little nervous that this was going to be the same and it was just not going to be for me. However, once I picked it up I ended up really enjoying Dora. 

I loved that this looked like it was going to be an enemies to lovers situation, but Dora just refused to give Elias that energy back. It took a little while for me to like Elias, but as the story progresses he stops feeling like an ass and just starts feeling like a grump. 

I was also a big fan of how the ending was handled, I can't be anymore specific without spoiling it, but it was exactly what I was hoping for. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Slavery, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and War

blewballoon's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

I had this book in my TBR for such a long time and kept putting it off, even though it sounded like something I would love. Maybe I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype I had created for it, but I think it did. I had a delightful time listening to this story on audiobook. The narrator has just the right tone for a character like Dora and a story that is a sort of hybrid of a regency romance and a fairy tale. I was surprised at how much was packed into such a short book, and how it didn't feel like things moved overly quickly. I tend to prefer more of a slow burn romance, but even with the shorter time frame, I felt like Dora and Elias managed to spend enough moments together with meaningful conversation and shared experiences that the romance was natural. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Classism, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child abuse, Pregnancy, War, and Murder

pvbobrien'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Classism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Kidnapping, War, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Blood, Death of parent, and Confinement

readwithria's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

Half a Soul is full of heart, and artfully combines traditional faerie stories with classic regency romance trope.

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! The prose is so lovely, and I have too many favorite quotes to share them all. The characters are compelling and while not all in possession of an entire soul, they are all in possession of fully fleshed out wants and desires.

Dora is such an interesting young woman, and reading through her perspective while she is without her acute emotional responses was fascinating. Seeing her “long-tailed” emotions shift and grow throughout the book was such a treat, and Atwater’s descriptions did them such justice.

Read this book of you love
🩵 faerie folklore
🩶 regency romance
🩵 grumpy MMCs
🩶 excellent banter
🩵 strong secondary characters 
🩶 hand touching (iykyk)

I can’t in good conscience end this review without leaving you one of my favorite quotes from the book

“You once told me that your cousin was a warm lantern to you, Dora. I know what you mean by that now. Of all things, you have become my lantern too – and I cannot bring myself to let you go out”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content, Blood, Kidnapping, War, Violence, and Gun violence

Minor: Pregnancy and Confinement

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

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

mabellene's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism and Ableism

Moderate: Child abuse, War, and Child death

Minor: Blood and Death of parent

katievallin'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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Classism, Murder, Trafficking, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Medical content, Sexism, War, and Body shaming

Minor: Blood and Death of parent

silasreads's review

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted sad 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism

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

This book is about someone who had half her soul stolen, which leads to an autistic coded character. Despite the negative implications, I thought the book did well at unpacking the negativity- until the very last line. Might just be a personal gripe, but I figured I would warn people. This book has a fix-it undertone about neurodivergence.