Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

4 reviews

mariebrunelm's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense fast-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? No

How do you fight off a reading slump ? I often pick a short, entertaining read and / or choose middle-grade or YA for intense readability.

I have loved both the middle-grade and adult books by Kiran Millwood Hargrave I’ve read in the past, so this was a safe bet and indeed I had an excellent time. This is a YA adventure following 13-year-old Isabella, living on an island with her dad, cat and hen. Their village is wrapped in mysteries since all birds but ravens flew and the forest has been declared forbidden to enter. The Governor responsible for this decision is a cruel man, but whoever defies him ends in prison or worse. Isabella is the only one who was willing to befriend his daughter Lupe, not guessing that this would lead her to betray the man’s orders. But terrible beasts lurk in the forest, and there are uncharted lands to explore.

This novel is very evocative and image-rich, which didn’t necessarily work for my aphantasia (I can’t picture images in my mind) but there was lots of adventure on the whole, with a fierce protagonist determined to do what’s right. It was a really lovely story that played on legends and stories, not without its darkness (if you’ve read Julia & the Shark you know) but well told. Not my favourite (Julia remains a huge favourite, and The Mercies after that), but well worth a try.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Minor: Death and Grief

rosie722's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

Enjoyed this a lot, found it gripping and emotional. Occasionally the writing was slightly confusing and I couldn't fully understand what was going on, especially at the end

in the cavern of glass and when the sea is spreading through the labyrinth and Joya. It felt rushed and badly explained. I thought Lupe's death was well-written and heartbreaking.

 
Overall, I loved the characters and the intricate world-building. 4 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

grrrlbrarian's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Moderate: Kidnapping, Colonisation, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

evieomills's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Colonisation