Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

7 reviews

paduckling's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Mental illness, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Classism, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Slavery, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Vomit

veeloucagraph's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-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? Yes

2.75

She'd never liked that phrase, diamond in the rough. All that meant was that they had to cut you again and again to let the light in. 

That was all there was in this world. No heroes or villains, just the people you'd brave the waves for, and the ones you'd let drown.

I've been trying to figure out a way to start this review and I believe the easiest way is to say, I couldn't wait for the sequel after Ninth House, and now I don't know if I want another sequel.
The second book in this occult New Haven setting felt disappointing, like it was shy, not going all the way with any of its themes, unlike Ninth House, which impressed, shocked and enthralled me by the end. The story moves along quite slowly but at the same time, as though we don't get enough time to breathe with the characters. Things are happening because they have to, we take characters along for the ride and feel their burden through the boredom their plot points create. The writing feels too preachy or distanced at times and a lot of the supernatural doesn't really make sense either with the tone or the logic the characters come up with. The stakes don't really feel high even though they're meant to be higher than ever and so much tension was lost because of the repetition in the plot, making important moments or reveals anti-climactic. 

Maybe all that really needs to be said is that there should have been more secret societies, more rituals, more creatures, more demons, more Alex and Darlington, more of the exciting elements, which Leigh Bardugo seems to keep like a delicacy when your will to read is about to leave you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Cursing

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Drug use, Slavery, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

molly_storm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

I put off listening to Hell Bent for ages after getting it on Audible, because I figured I would really need to focus on it - the time skips in Ninth House had really baffled me at first but by the end everything made sense so I figured this one would be the same. 

I was definitely not disappointed in the plot! Three nights in a row, I stayed up past 4am listening to this audiobook after going to bed. It flows beautifully - I know a lot of people have said that it’s too fast or feels rushed but I disagree wholeheartedly. 

I’m excited for the story to continue in the 3rd one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Blood, Police brutality, Addiction, Death of parent, and Self harm

Minor: Vomit, Police brutality, Torture, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Cannibalism, Excrement, Drug abuse, Medical content, Drug use, Mental illness, Confinement, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault

By and large, the above triggers I feel are present are handled appropriately and are not there for gratuitous reasons.

dodgeremerson's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

4.5

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Animal cruelty, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Excrement, Animal death, Death of parent, Gore, Violence, Cursing, Abandonment, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Rape, Torture, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

weyda_reads's review

adventurous dark mysterious 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

5.0

Do I give books too often 5 Stars?? Maybe. But this one deserves it. It was awesome, just amazing, emotional, dark, scary and the characters are so interesting and you care for them. ALSO FINALLY. ykiyk.
I need a next book DESPERATELY. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Gore, Death, Murder, Child abuse, Blood, Drug abuse, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Rape, Excrement, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence

imogenlj's review

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

I love the feeling of anticipation when starting a book I know I’ll enjoy, and the wait was worth it. Bardugo expands the world she created in Ninth House and the characters, especially Alex, develop naturally in response to Darlington’s absence. Reading about Alex’s time at Yale drummed up such an ache for the learning that I missed from my time at university, and Hell Bent’s magic was just as perverse and compelling as before.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Blood, Cursing, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Grief, Slavery, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Excrement, and Police brutality

jessiereads98's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Bullying, Police brutality, Torture, Body horror, Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Confinement, and Racism

Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Classism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, and Vomit