Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

300 reviews

2_black_dogs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Vomit, Bullying, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death of parent, Gore, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, and Death

alicejade's review against another edition

challenging dark 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: Emotional abuse, Body horror, Gore, Death, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Vomit, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

ava_jpg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

mmmm cannibalism as a metaphor for love always eats (literally)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Eating disorder, Gore, Vomit, Animal death, Medical content, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Death, and Murder

pinkpapercrane's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is very dark, very tense, and yet at the end of the day, a fantastic read. This isn’t my usual cup of tea, I’m a cozy fantasy sort of reader but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to dive headfirst into grim dark fantasy.

(with a happy ending, of course.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Torture, Self harm, Eating disorder, Child death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Animal death, Pregnancy, Gore, Confinement, Cannibalism, Body shaming, and Adult/minor relationship

This book is very dark and very tense, there are some in depth descriptions of sexual violence, with references to it throughout the book.

3rdeyeopen's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Classism, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Death, Gore, Gaslighting, Blood, Torture, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

nyah_ellexa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

I genuinely didn’t think I’d love this book as much as I did. It was truly one of the best written books I’ve read so far this year. The grimdark story telling and the gothic fantasy setting was something I didn’t know I liked so much until I read this book. I honestly can’t think of anything wrong with it. 

This book has definitely opened myself up to reading more from Ava Reid, so I’m hoping to dive into A Study in Drowning next. 

P.S Sevas is my now one of my all time favorite book boys, he’s just the embodiment of perfection. The romance in this book was just done so beautifully and done in a way that was tasteful, since both characters has been through certain traumas. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Gore

Moderate: Xenophobia

iconicavocado's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Book 📖: 4/5 stars

I've been dying to read this book! I've heard nothing but good things and for the most part it delivered! 

I really enjoyed the reimagining of The Juniper Tree with such poetic melancholy writing and exploration of dark themes. I wasn't entirely sure how large the scope would go but I found the ending quite satisfying. 

Going into this I knew there are content warnings, but I still found some parts to be hard to stomach. I don't demerit the book for it because the uncomfortableness was what the author was going for. I did find the pacing to be quite slow and wish it picked up its third act just a bit quicker. 

This is not a book for everyone. It's incredibly dark and definitely in the realm of horror. But I loved it's unique writing and haunting take of an already twisted fairytale. I'm excited to read more of Ava Reid's work! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Gore, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Animal death, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

an absolutely phenomenal and gut wrenching story of a young woman coming to terms with her trauma. this book made me cry so hard not only from sadness but the hopeful ending that really encapsulates how healing is not linear. trauma will always linger with these characters but that doesn’t mean they cannot lead happy and meaningful lives. the folk tales and mythology this book uses are so beautiful and the way ava reid writes is so gorgeously poetic and also kind of horrific. cannot wait to buy all her books for the rest of my life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Body horror, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

hannahwiles's review

dark medium-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

wasn’t at all what i expected.. beautiful writing though like actually kind of amazing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, and Eating disorder

emviolet's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Body horror, and Blood