Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

28 reviews

lapis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Don't get me wrong, this is an excellent book. 

But it's long, painful, and relevant (despite being written quite a while ago).  It's really hard to read as a result!

Please read it, but exercise caution. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Sexual Assault:

Discussed as a matter in the past

Abuse:

mostly just allusions to stuff in the past

Suicide:

One person commits suicide, others struggle with suicidal thoughts

jella's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Habe nicht erwarte, dass mich die Geschichte so packen wird. Mein liebster Band der Reihe. Auch der (psychisch) brutalste.

Wie in den Vorgängern endet auch diese Geschichte gut, jedoch muss der Hauptcharakter auf etwas verzichten. In Band 1 war es das Augenlicht von Katsas Gefährten, in Band 2 waren es zwei Finger von Fire und hier ist es die Liebe von Bitterblue. Saf stirbt zwar nicht, geht jedoch fort, obwohl sie einander lieben und obwohl er bleiben könnte. Autsch.

Auch wenn das Ende dem nach nicht 100% zufriedenstellend war, würde ich dafür nichts abziehen. Ich finde die Entscheidung der Autorin eigentlich mutig. In der Mitte der Geschichte wäre es unnötiges Drama, aber hier am Ende wandelt es sich eher zu Realismus.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Violence, Animal cruelty, and Torture

Minor: Animal death, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, and Self harm

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

Like Fire, this is a fairly slow moving book. While it picks up in plot towards the end, the way it's written still feels slow. However, this fits the nature of the story. Bitterblue is trying to pick up the mess her father made, and many are afraid of confronting the past. Therefore, her journey to the truth is a long, winding one.

While you can read this book without reading the previous two (I think), there's nuggets of backstory you'll miss. This book really draws all 3 together. I loved being able to see Bitterblue's journey play out, and I was honestly hooked until the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, and Alcoholism

Minor: Kidnapping

radreadswithrachel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m so glad that reread this now as an adult. I can understand and appreciate the story I never did as a child. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Child abuse, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

kettijane55's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Death, Suicide, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

annaluzia's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Loved it! Will write more when I'm getting home, but I don't have my laptop with me right now ...
*edit 10.04.2021:
I have no idea how to rate this book, to be honest. Plotwise and in terms of being an adventure and entertaining it falls flat compared to Fire and Graceling, but the character work is brilliant and I love love love the way she looks at a kingdom that had just suffered from tyranny, memory loss and no clue as to what the truth is. After studying the dictatorships in Latin America I feel like there are so many things I can now understand way better. The search for truth, for the disappeared, not knowing how to look forward, the power of art. 
I think that this book is really impactful in a lot of ways, but it won't be for anyone. Also love the bits of self-reflection of the author in her notes and acknowledgements, it shows growth and I really respect her for that, and her writing. 
Be aware of trigger warnings though, this is not an easy book! (not AS bad as I'm putting them, but it's primarily about the characters working through their traumas) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism

karingforbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was so much better than I remembered! We see Bitterblue deal with the repercussions of her father's reign, and trust being rebuilt, and betrayal, and no blatantly painful romance, and Katsa and Po, and the politics of being a Queen. Watching Bitterblue figure out how to be Queen, despite her advisors, and through everything she has to work through herself, as well as what her kingdom has to work through, was amazing. Cashore does a good job of showing how people deal with trauma individually, and how a leader can be isolated from it even though they want to be there for their people. This is on par with my love for Graceling.
6/22/20: 5 stars. Amazing. I love watching these characters deal with the aftermath in different ways. I love the way she writes relationships and shows various ones being ok. I love that all three books combine. Amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

Moderate: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, and Mental illness

angelareads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence