Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

52 reviews

battybookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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

5.0

Rereading these books has truly been a delight. I am now unsure if I ever actually finished it previously but either way, this book had me til the very end this time! It’s such a useful book on recovery and how one can hold onto hope after devastating happenings occur. Cashore weaves past characters in beautifully and engages each in a way that makes their character fuller and more interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

This book, like it’s predecessors, discusses very dark topics. If you’ve read Graceling and Fire, this focuses heavily on the repercussions of decisions in those novels as well as what happened and happens after King Leck’s reign.

the abuse of people (particularly children) and animals as well as their deaths/bones are discussed frequently and in great detail through journal entry style or medical analysis. There’s some implication of danger towards Bitterblue as a child, but otherwise there’s no pedophelia/incest in the novel.

There are many character deaths and violent scenes.

cepbreed's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

Shocking. I read this book with my mind spinning and mouth agape. I was intimidated by the length but now can understand the necessity of those pages. I do not want to say too much for the sake of anyone who dislikes spoilers, but the hours it takes to finish this book are well worth it. Cashore seemed to me like a mediocre author upon my introduction to the series but with each book I am further proved wrong. The complexity of this narrative is astounding. I came to really love Bitterblue and my love for other previously established characters grew more. I have to be honest and say that I really hold no love for Saf.

In fact I was waiting on Bitterblue and Giddon to fall in love, yes the age difference is one thing but I thought the way they connected was much more meaningful. Alas, I need to be satisfied with their camaraderie and that singular forehead kiss.

Leck can rot in hell.

 Song:

• Writer In the Dark - Lorde 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Minor: Confinement and War

binca's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Minor: War

lumberelk's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, and Medical trauma

Minor: Vomit

therobinjoyce's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

A great continuation to the Graceling series by Kristin Cashore. I’ll admit, it was a lot harder to get into than Graceling but not as much so as Fire.

It was fantastic to be reunited with Bitterblue, Po, Katsa, Giddon, Raffin, Helda, and to also get a glimpse into some of the characters we got to know throughout Fire once more.

It was a fantastic YA fantasy and this one was filled with far more political intrigue and court politics but it was amazingly done and we still had a harrowing and gritty adventure through this fantasy realm once more. 

Bitterblue’s character has matured so much as have some of the others, but it was wonderful to follow her as an adolescent making her mark on her world and trying to rule. The whole cast of new characters that were introduced were also great and I loved so many of them. 

Just a fantastic follow up to the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Kidnapping

elle_dee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-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

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

melplays9000's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

This was a solidly good book! I really loved how this installment tied together parts of the previous 2 books while still having a totally unique plot of its own which was separate from that. I loved seeing Bitterblue’s growth as a character throughout this book and I felt her journey in the book really was different from what this series has previously been in the best way. I also appreciate that Kristin Cashore does not shy away from the more unheard of topics in YA, for example periods and birth control. This was also present in this book and I think this is an excellent example of how these topics can be brought into a book without being the main focus. 

One thing that was a little too much for my small brain was just the amount of character. Each of them had their own subplot with their own motives all happening at the exact same time and I just felt very lost in certain moments and feel I may have missed some of the reveals just because of how much was going on. 

Overall this book was everything I hoped it would be. It, without problem, kept me entertained the entire time that I was reading it and I appreciate everything it did for me. 4.5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury

alexander_pendragon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

ken_mcmurdie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, and Suicide attempt

muse2323's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad

4.75

Reread in preparation for the recently released 4th Graceling book. I'd forgotten so much of this story, I'm glad I reread it before diving into the 4th one.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape