Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

76 reviews

midnightcomets's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

 

Look, everyone talks about the unknown like it's some big scary thing, but it's the familiar that's always bothered me. It's heavy, builds up around you like rocks, until it's walls and a ceiling and a cell.

I have no idea what went wrong, for when the book began, I enjoyed every single minute of it, but towards the end, everything became repetitive and lackluster, for me at least. The characters became strangers to me, and even Holland, a character I constantly find immensely interesting, became someone I really couldn't care less for by the end of the book. The stakes were high, yes, but the plot didn't move where I wanted it to, and the Essen Tasch, the magical tournament I was so waiting to experience, was barely 200 pages long. Overall, I probably will read the third book as well, but I will not rush into it immediately, and not with the utmost enthusiasm, for sure.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Rape

theslowreadernumber5's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

junji_ito_hoe's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Blood

escapismforlife's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

This book. THIS BOOK.

 Can you hear me almost falling to grab the third off my shelf?

I haven't  felt like this since reading the Legend trilogy Marie Lu back in high school. Or even finishing  Ember in The Ashes Series just last year. I've got through  this series quicker than both. It's taken me a month. And I am eager to see what happens. Though I think its  already  been  told shown to me in this. <spoiler >Something  to do with a dark Lila shown to her. By a dark mirror in a illegal market.  

Anyways, I'm wrecked because  of the ending. Delilah Bard is the true antihero/thief/magician of London. And the fact she's  the strong one in the kind of relationship with Kell is the best thing ever. I love seeing an average woman  do extraordinary  and dangerous  things. And I'm ready to see things take a left turn for once.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

nabaraditi's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

 This competition thing reminded me of Goblet of Fire (there's no resemblance other than the fact that both are competitions) But still. And the book felt like it was all about this competition. A new character was added

a love interest for our pretty, charming prince Rhy

which I felt like why...????? 

I also didn't understand the logic behind Rhy and Kell in making Kell join the competition. TO BLOW OFF STEAM??? CATHARSIS??? REAAAAAALLLLLYYYYYYYY???????? i feel keeping you and your brother safe is more important. Hence, i sort of didn't feel bad and i could feel myself agreeing with King Maxim for imprisoning Kell. Lila joining the competition... I like her character at times but there are multiple times when I dislike her when she's being bloody stupid. She seemed to participate out of spite for Alucard?? Like i'm not mad. This fits her character. She is egoistic (at least i find her egoistic)

 

I quite enjoyed the first book and I thought the first book was like a build up for the next books but it seems so was this 2nd one! And I don’t want to say I was disappointed as such but I did have trouble picking this book up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Blood

Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Confinement

blueberry0531's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Self harm, and Murder

Minor: Cursing and Kidnapping

eranada's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

laurynreadsbooks's review

adventurous medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm and Injury/Injury detail

reddeddy's review

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

i am just *inhales*……Delilah Bard…..you are insane….but you’re also a fucking badass…..i had some issues with this book through the middle and towards the end, but that ending….i’m kinda shook…..that final line gave me literal chills.

overall a solid sequel, and im so looking forward to the last one, especially after that cliffhanger…i mainly had issues with some of the character development, especially Lila, because i feel like she doesn’t get the same kind of nuance as Kell or even Rhy, especially with everything going on, it feels like she doesn’t ever get the same emotional depth the others do, but hopefully in the next book she will!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and War

malhale's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Kidnapping