Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

67 reviews

sinceraly's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-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

Ideally, I'll write a longer, more well thought out review at some point, but for now:

Spinning Silver is an excellent adaption/retelling of Rumpelstiltskin that does a great job of setting itself apart from the original. The book is excellently written with some of the best prose I've read all year, and Novik is so incredibly skilled at describing things so well you really can picture them all in your head.

The only thing stopping me from rating the book 5 stars is the amount of perspectives the book gets written through, and the nonsense order of how they happen. At first it's as simple as Miryem/Wanda/Irina, but then you toss in perspectives from the tsar, from Irina's handmaiden, from Wanda's brother, and they all happen randomly, it feels like. Though I loved the switch in perspectives at first, eventually it led to the middle section of the book feeling disjointed and not as cohesive as it could have been. Maybe on a second read, I'd feel like it's worth it, but it was a big enough negative for me to keep the book from 5 stars.

Also wish the book would have given me an epilogue if only because I wanted to see more of the Staryk king post "you fight good" moment. I'm a sucker for proud bitches and a redemption arc.
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booklifeisthelife's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring slow-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

3.5

I really enjoyed this book, the world, the characters and all the small details. It has six povs which I enjoyed (all which varying frequently) so you really did get to know the characters. However two main problems I had with this book. One was the writing which was otherwise good if you ignore the excessive use of "and" and the run ons. Once I was able to get used it it wasn't so bad but it really did bother me so I docked a .5 but the thing that took a whole 1 off was the ending. I did not like the one part of, the ending for the one main character. I liked most of the characters ending and was happy for them but the one really bothered me. Without getting into specific, they forced a "romance" that I felt wasn't a thing. There was no build up, no tension, no gradual feelings developing besides respect on the male's side. But the romance just..wasn't there yet they forced an ending in that direction which kinda ruined it for me. Nice fantasy world but I would have liked a little more informatio  about the other kingdom. I still really loved the book and I struggled choosing between 3.5 and 4. 
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boopityzoo's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

I really enjoyed this book! Some highlights include interesting narration, loveable characters, a complex plot that is carried out well, and moments that made me genuinely chuckle. Also, this novel centers the story of a young Jewish woman and her family, and the Jewish culture is woven very artfully throughout the story. All in all, a true gem. Especially nice to read in the wintertime when it's cold outside!
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redpanda_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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tibbarasden's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

4.5

I debated about giving this a five-star, but in the end, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the story/characters I couldn't quite give it that. The atmosphere of this book was spot on. I liked the little connections of the three main characters throughout the storyline. I loved the fire and ice/winter and summer theme throughout. The only thing I didn't like was the number of POVs (6) and the way the author transitioned through the POVs. It wasn't always clear initially whose POV it was, which would take me out of the story a little. Also, I didn't feel the tree's backstory was explained, which left me a little dissatisfied with its whole role. But everything else about the story was wonderful, and I loved how it played out in the end.
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ink_and_wings's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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bebobel's review

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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

5.0

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gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I had much higher hopes since the Schoolomance books are some of my faves. This was glacially paced, I was frequently confused by the switching POVs since they all had similar voice. Some really interesting concepts but was not for me. 
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shostakofish's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-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? No

3.75

A fantastic and fresh take on a Fae based fairy tale that has about 20% too much of any given part. I enjoy multiple POV characters but this is over the top, and at the point where I thought it would be nice if the story wrapped up soon there was still a whole damn story arc left.
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blewballoon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I had a hard time with the first half of the book. It reads very much like a fairy tale, and I found it hard to connect with the characters despite the multiple points of view, because it felt like there was more focus on plot than character. Towards the end though, it became a lot more compelling and I really enjoyed watching all the plot threads weave together into the ending. It's a very a well crafted story, I just wish I could have felt more connection with the characters sooner. While the story is dark, it never crossed the line for me to where I'd be too uncomfortable, but please check the content warnings. 
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