Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

319 reviews

ellesbell's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Eating disorder

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Cannibalism and Vomit

Minor: Sexual assault and Child abuse

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

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Content Warnings

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

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.

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Content Warnings

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Xenophobia, Animal death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, 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

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Content Warnings

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

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Eating disorder, Animal death, 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. 

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Content Warnings

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

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