Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

136 reviews

theremightbecupcakes's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Animal death, Death, Grief, Body horror, and Gore

nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

5.0

um…..!!!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Gore, and Violence

chinaskye12's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault

Minor: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexism

rdmoreland0801's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense 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

We’re going to hell and not everyone will make it out alive.

Alex and Dawes are are determined to bring Darlington back from hell.  The problem is, they have to learn how to do so.  Enlisting the help of Turner, Tripp, and Mercy, the group figures out the riddle to the gate and makes the descent.

As expected, nothing goes according to plan and demons follow them back.  In a race to close the gate, the group finds them facing off against vampires and demons, while also trying to solve a murder.

In this wildly chaotic story, we delve deeper into the lives and pasts of Alex, Darlington, Dawes, Turner, Tripp, and Mercy.

Lauren Fortang and Michael David Axtell bring this story to life in a captivating way, leaving you wanting more. I’ve listened to both Ninth House and He’ll Bent on Audible, and I think it just adds to the experience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Suicide attempt

suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

3.5 really, but I thought the book was fun so it gets bumped a star. overall, compared to her last, I think this one is slightly better in the sense that I felt there were fewer random/unnecessary moments than in the first book (especially in moments that deal with heavy gender-based cases of abuse and assault). however, one of the negatives is the pacing of the book. I often found that the descriptions were a bit heavy at times and I felt that there was not as much connection and genuine interactions with the characters as there was in the first book, so the chemistry, while not feeling forced, just fell flat. 

there are some specific things within this that I will spoil below, but all in all, I think this is a really fun read when you're looking to pass the time. in addition, I think the serious moments and reflections in this book are really stunning and you can tell how much leigh as evolved as a writer, philosopher, and world-builder.

- I would have liked to see more of dawes' backstory! while alex's story is special, it's also the story we have heard before. I thought one of the strongest aspects of ninth house was darlington's story, and I would have loved something similar for dawes, especially since she plays a more prominent role.

- on that note on darlington, I wish there were more of him. while I understand that's the 'point', I thought he fell way flatter than usual in his own thoughts and in his interactions with everyone after being rescued. it really did feel like he took more of a secondary/unnecessary role after his rescue, and it left me feeling uncomfortable in the wrong way (almost like it was defamation to all that his character was built up to be in the first book). I'm also not really buying that he would just surrender to alex, to his role, and to lethe as easily as he did.

- the twist was... just fine. maybe it's because I'm older, but I thought that this twist was a bit more expected than the first and just was not a page-turner in the way the other was.

- unfortunately, the ending did not make me really excited for the third book, since this new plotline just felt like a weird grab all while the one for the first book just made more sense? idk idk

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Torture, Child death, Blood, Gore, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Police brutality

Minor: Animal cruelty, Police brutality, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, and Panic attacks/disorders

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

4.75

Brandon Sanderson has his famed “Sander-lanche” but there needs to be a term for Leigh Bardugo’s roller coaster. This is such an excellent part 2 of 3!! A lot of times part 2’s leave you with more questions than answers, kind of like a lull in the story that’s just meant to be a set up for the main event in part 3. But Hellbent does not feel like that at all. It grips you just like Ninth House, and the mystery is just as multi-layered. If you liked Ninth House, 10/10 you will love Hellbent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death

Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Self harm and Suicide attempt

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Violence, Cursing, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Death, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, and Grief

Moderate: Racism, Torture, and Mental illness

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Cancer, Police brutality, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Drug use, Slavery, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault

kproctor2's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

3.75

It was different from Ninth House but a good read. 
I didn’t mind the ending except the weird awkward tension between Alex and Mercy didn’t need to happen in the first place but then wasn’t resolved; there wasn’t as much emotion or vulnerability between the group as I would’ve liked or expected; and the tension between Alex and Darlington wasn’t even mentioned like ya girl fought for a year and went to hell twice for you and you’re now supernaturally bound to her bc she saved you from hell and will “serve her forever” but y’all can’t talk about that huh? I get being scared of the demon but you just got your friend back after life or death fights, where was the emotion??

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Murder, Grief, and Drug use

theotheleo's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Murder, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Cursing, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Torture, Child death, Racism, Blood, and Mental illness

Minor: Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Death of parent, Suicide, Slavery, and Medical trauma

helenferg's review against another edition

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