Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

7 reviews

corncake's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Grief, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse, Abandonment, Medical content, Confinement, and Gun violence

mdwsn27's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Murder, Animal death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Gore, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Rape, Stalking, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Abandonment

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Abortion, and Confinement

navayiota's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

I originally saved this cause it was recommended by Leena Norms for spooky October novels, and spooky it was, although not in the way I had expected. I ended up picking it up cause it was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, and I really enjoyed her previous work narrating Kate Quinn novels. I didn't expect it to stay with me the way it did. I am in shock. Visceral is the perfect way to describe this writing. McConaghy got me to feel every light touch and savage hit taken by the characters. She tied every aspect of the story up in a neat bow that lovingly punched me in the gut at every opportunity. I refuse to believe that a human can write like this, and yet it's so painfully obvious that a human wrote it, because what other species could describe the human experience in such a vivid way? My heart aches for these characters, who are painfully fleshed out with all their jagged edges and ugly sides. I wish more people read this book. I can't wait to read more but must stop myself from binging anything else she has written cause it just wouldn't be enough. May her fingers never tire of typing or holding a pen, may her mind never cease creating and may her soul experience every joy the world has to offer. Simply incredible.

I can't believe that I finally encountered a book where the pregnancy trope is treated with justice and respect. I was in awe at the mastery with which she ended the story, the way she made it all make sense. Every major or subplot is a full circle and that feels incredible to me

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicide, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Dementia, Confinement, and Child abuse

Minor: Drug abuse

carolinefran's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Rape, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Animal death

Moderate: Abortion, Dementia, Drug use, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Misogyny, Police brutality, Stalking, and Vomit

bandysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This is a dark and difficult book that focuses on the nature of humans and wolves.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Self harm

jess_d84's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Grief, Animal cruelty, Rape, and Physical abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, and Dementia

invitation_allyson's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

McConaghy holds two seemingly opposing ideas against each other: tenderness and rage. But together, these forces are fierce and powerful; they are women and wolves. She has splayed open what it means to be wild among forces desperate to bend toward tameness. In a word: exquisite.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Animal death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Death of parent