Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Magpie by Elizabeth Day

9 reviews

iamnita's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

This book started so well and the idea was well-done. I could see that we were headed somewhere twisty and then I got surprised by a twist I should have but didn't see coming. By 70% I was so excited by the rest of the book but honestly wish I'd just stopped there. It's almost as if the author dropped the plot and then had a deadline to get to. Which was disappointing. I also could have done without the last chapter. But the vibes were immaculate to 70%.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Violence, Infertility, Stalking, and Confinement

lucyyybee's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No

2.5

This book… Um, don’t know where to start. It was boring, exciting plot twist, back to boring. But within all the boring was also just confusion.

Evil MIL who played small role in book ends up being the biggest issue? Somehow thinking the woman with bipolar / schizophrenia who tried to kill her sons girlfriend was a better fit for her son. Mind you, she’s very stuck up and uppity. So that makes no sense as her son is “perfect” and she would otherwise see Marisa as very flawed.

Also paints mental illness in an odd way. I don’t know. I forced myself through it hoping for a good ending. I was let down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, and Infertility

curlydanreads's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Grief

franticfreya's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Infertility, Blood, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

Moderate: Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Grief, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Stalking

xbernadette's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Blood, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, and Violence

hayleyholliday's review

2.75

This book was brilliant from about 30%-70% but before and after that, I found it really flat. I really liked the idea but I feel like the ending was more like the ending to a romance novel rather than a psychological thriller. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Stalking

ellynicholem's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Stalking, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

sib_reads's review

dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Abortion, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Stalking, Abandonment, Cursing, Pedophilia, and Grief

kamin8882's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

"one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, and four for a boy."

Marissa and Jake are the perfect couple, they only thing they are missing a baby. To earn some extra money to prepare to become a larger family, Jake and Marissa get a lodger, Kate, to move in and help with some expenses. Jake is convinced this will help cover the cost to expand their family so Marissa agrees. But once she actually becomes pregnant... things change. Marissa is more on edge and paranoid, and Jake and Kate seem to be getting more and more cozy. Marissa is convinced Kate is making moves and is obsessed with them!! Marissa decides to take matters into her own hands- even if it means risking everything she has worked so hard for. How far will she got to protect her growing family ??? 

WOW !! This book was too much more than the synopsis leads it on to be!!! I can't really go into with much spoilers but holy crap it gets insane !!! Marissa, Kate and even Jake's mom Annabelle all have their own experiences with motherhood, whether it be infertility, abandonment or obsession. I loved the different view points on motherhood this way. I also loved how the first half of the book was told from Marissa's POV and the second half from Kates... I was really able to understand each character more. Now with that being said, the main reason this isn't getting 5 stars is because

the main "twist" happened to early for me... I was hoping for more of a BANG ending but it just kinda resolved itself after that...

Overall, this book was great !! I loved the crazy characters, the twist was insane and the motherhood theme was great!!

"There was no sacrifice to great; no lack that she wouldn't willingly suffer. She had her baby, finally after so much suffering."

Thank you Simon & Schuster, Netgalley and Elizabeth Day for an advanced readers copy of this book !! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Rape

Moderate: Stalking

This book is very heavy on infertility and trying for a baby. This may not be the book for you if this is a trigger