Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

368 reviews

ellesbell's review

dark sad medium-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

1.5

It felt like nothing was fully fleshed out and Reid was going for the shock factor. It felt like Reid was pulling on all of the type of events that make us want to feel empathy for a character, but never built in time for us to connect to the character or even give us time to have empathy before being frustrated by the main character.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Sexual assault

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Child abuse

Minor: Cannibalism

callistag1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

jordyfrombookclub's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Vomit and Cannibalism

Minor: Child abuse and Sexual assault

njrebecca's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

ceebee86's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Like with another of Ava Reid's work that I had read, "A Study in Drowning", I found this to be a slog at first, and then right towards the end she manages to tie everything up neatly.

I am not fully convinced of its "horror" label. There were moments where I thought it was disturbing and gross for sure--just like The Juniper Tree fairy tale. But this was more sad than anything.

I found Marlinchen to be a bit aggravating at first but it really does just take some getting used to. She's not so much aggravating as she is sad. The profound effects of abuse permeate her very mentally ill mind.

On this subject I thought the novel really hit. It was very real. The parental and sexual abuse, the honeymoon reconciliation and the rest of the stages in the cycle of abuse, the way siblings grow to use each other for their own survival, and the trauma bonding, were all just so so real.

My one major gripe is that it did slip into a repetitive or redundant style. The book mentions breasts and nipples a lot. And yeah maybe there was an intent to it thematically, but at some point it just became too much. I was tired of it. 

And also the constant "I am ugly and my two sisters are beautiful" schtick. I get it. Characterizing women only by their one most defining physical feature is very much a fairytale trope, but it's so tiresome in the context of a contemporary novel.

I believe Reid said this book thematically revolved around the advancement of society under capitalism. That was an undercurrent across the book as a whole. And I thought it established the atmosphere and setting really well.

Overall, a decent read but not for the impatient or those with weak stomachs.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism and Antisemitism

multiplyoctopi's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

ktame001's review against another edition

dark sad 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

startjpw23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

This is a dark fantasy romance. It is told in the first person by Marlinchen. The location and time aren't given. But the story appears to be set in an alternate Russia. There are electric lights. But local transportation is by horse drawn carriages. There are wizards and witches, but their place in the world appears to be declining. Marlinchen is the youngest of 3 sisters, all of whom are witches. Their mother died under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Their father is a powerful wizard. A curse was put on him. He basically keeps the 3 sisters captive so they can use their powers to earn money from clients. Business is declining. I found the book very engrossing. The author creates a great atmosphere. The world is well fleshed out. The characters have depth. It is unrelentingly grim story. And graphically violent in parts. I recommend the book to someone who wants to read a very dark fantasy romance. You may want to look at content warnings. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

maebae's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Eating disorder, Blood, and Death of parent

louiepotterbook's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

2.75

This book was entertaining for the most part but certain aspects of it left me kinda grossed out and confused. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

there is cannibalism in this book as well as a scenes where the characters are turned on by gore.