Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

144 reviews

morgangd's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

An intense tale of trauma in dark fairy tale mode, with every trigger warning under the sun and maybe, just maybe, actually too crass. But it did move me at parts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Body shaming, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexism, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism

allapaz's review against another edition

5.0

i have no words

5/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

zoeblair17's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

Literally ALL the trigger warnings! Not a story for the faint of heart but that warning speaks so highly of the writing! Not usually a horror/dark fairytale gal but the way the author tells this story is immersive and captivating 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexism, Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Sexual assault, Grief, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Animal death, Death, Eating disorder, Racism, Vomit, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism

nikeeeeee's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Body horror, and Cannibalism

carolined314's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

3.0

Dark fairy tale retelling with tons of trauma

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual assault, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Ableism, Child abuse, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Body shaming, Blood, Animal death, Murder, and Pedophilia

Minor: Death of parent

valgiroux's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, and Cannibalism

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

loumurrey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Body horror, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, and Physical abuse

libraryofmoss's review against another edition

dark sad 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

2.0

Allll the content warnings! This book is dark and grotesque. The prose is repetitive and I probably would have quit it except for the hope for some positive resolution of lil the awfulness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Vomit, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail

hprimo12's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

This book was supposed to be a gritty retelling of a fairytale, but the topics that made it "gritty" were not handled well and left me hating the main character. I did not find any part of the story compelling, and it pained me to finish it. I stongly do not recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Death, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Violence, and Xenophobia

The "love" story part of this book was only really based on trauma bonding, as the characters frankly do not really spend much time together before being madly in love. Additionally, the story is seemingly centered on how much the main character is suffering at the hands of her sisters despite the fact that they are also being abused by her father. Granted they suffer a different kind of abuse, but the author and the main character make no mention of this at all. To the point where the main character kills one of her sister and shows no remorse. The last thing that I will say is that I found any LGBT+ representation to be layered in negative stereotypes or villainized. There are many other things that I could point out about the world or the overtly sexualized situations, but I don't want to give this book much more thought.