Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

73 reviews

jessmlamb's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was more grotesque and graphic than I was expecting—an adult retelling of a gruesome fairy tale. It was too much for me. Definitely check the content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Body horror, Bullying, Sexual assault, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Pedophilia

_annika__'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

gimmiiie's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Cannibalism, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Xenophobia, Blood, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

kaseythefairy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Vomit, Blood, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Body horror

onthelam's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, and Mental illness

bookmark3brodi's review against another edition

challenging mysterious fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Rape, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Self harm, Cannibalism, Child death, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Body shaming, Bullying, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism

yomireads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

Juniper and Thorn takes a dark magic based world and confronts far darker realities of abuse. The story opens with a catalyst event for our MC, Marlinchen as she and her sisters venture out of their home and she experiences life outside the borders of her home. As the story unfolds from their we glean how Marlinchen has adapted to a hostile environment, and glimpse the ways her sisters have done the same in their own ways. Relationships and the way trauma affects them are shown through her eyes, and observed as she learns more of her sisters, who are often kept at arms length from each other. 

This is a well conceived and deeply disturbing story that's intoxicatingly written. Each plot reveal was loaded with expecting foreshadowing, and by the end I was utterly speechless at the reveals. Well worth the read.

My drawbacks play into my personal tastes and aversions. From the first chapter sex plays a much larger part in the story than I anticipated. And while the story does explore romance to some degree it's done as a means of allowing for character growth and insight to their traumas. Even so I always have a difficult time when a book ventures down this plotline. Additionally, I was expecting something a bit more magic heavy, and was deeply intrigued by the different types of magic each sister possessed. I was disappointed not to get more of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Murder, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, and Bullying

Minor: Death of parent and Pedophilia

tahsintries's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Incest, Misogyny, Blood, and Confinement

Minor: Eating disorder and Domestic abuse

theatrealpaca's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Confinement, Murder, Violence, Body horror, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Sexual content

karenreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Vomit, Gaslighting, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal death and Death of parent