Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

6 reviews

emilywemily6'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I still really enjoyed this book, but the major themes differed greatly from what I loved and what intrigued me in the first book. This book was less dark academia/Yale and secret society lore, which I missed. And while the plot had plenty to twists and turns, some parts were slow and I didn’t really see where the book was going. This book takes the series in a different direction than the first, and I’m not sure if I will like that direction as much as the first book. Though I’m excited to read more in the series and see how it goes!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Violence, Torture, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, Gore, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Body horror

Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Animal death, and Medical content

prairieraven's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Car accident, Gore, Addiction, Body horror, Gun violence, Murder, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Rape, Abandonment, Sexism, Slavery, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Sexual content, Violence, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Vomit, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Cursing, Police brutality, Racism, and Toxic friendship

faduma's review

So boring, pointless, nothing was interesting, people existing to exist. Overall disappointment 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, and Violence

helenferg's review

adventurous dark emotional 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: Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death of parent, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gore, Kidnapping, Racism, and Drug use

cady_sass's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

2.5

Struggling to put together the words to express my disappointment. The second installment lacks all of the dark academia, secret societies, and cult vibes that I loved about Ninth House. Of course they are still AT Yale, but there is little actual school content, there’s even less discussion about the actual Lethe work and the other 8 houses and the rituals, which is the content I want. 

The entirety of this novel is about Darlington, which, as I said in my review of Ninth House, we don’t know nearly enough about nor did we spend enough time with him in the first book to actually care about him. Everything else about the world they built falls away and the only thing that matters is finding Darlington and bringing him home, and the hell that comes along with it (pun intended). To that point, it’s completely nonsensical and out of character for any of these characters to care about Darlington too, except for Pam who is by far the best part of the whole book. Tucker has no reason to join them in their endeavors. The friend (I literally already forget his name) has no reason to risk his life here. ALEX has no real reason here either- they make a point, over and over again, to tell us how she feels nothing and everything she does is self serving. NONSENSE, all of it. 

I get that this might do it for some people but for me it’s a let down. I’m sorry, I just don’t care about Darlington. Give me more secret society shady dealings and unsanctioned rituals and detective work and leave the hell portals at home. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Death of parent, Murder, Death, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Vomit, Abandonment, Body horror, Classism, Kidnapping, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Misogyny

northboundreader's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Dementia, Drug use, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Addiction, Alcohol, Police brutality, Blood, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Grief, Violence, Gun violence, and Kidnapping