Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert

12 reviews

cosypuck's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

sophia_pearl's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, and Stalking

kittykatruin's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

styxx's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

stardustgutz'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

4.25

It was page turner near the end of the book when

"Sister bitch" was being murdered and we find out the goddess is real.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

arrr's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

This book does such a good job of accessing that transitional period between magical thinking and growing up. Explores topics of trust, honesty, consequences, vengeance, justice, and friendship. Empowered young women and supportive peer groups. A few queer characters. Good example of kind masculinity. Good examples of how young people can process and cope with the actions of the "bad ones" while being true to themselves and maintaining their power. 

Best friends play the bad kid version of the goddess game and unlock an old mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

    When 3 students and a teacher go missing one night, one of their best friends, Nora, and the mysterious boy James, get pulled into an old town myth, the Goddess Game.
    Well, I found the book partly predictable. I figured out what was up with the connection to the old game, or who was now in the story was connected to it pretty easily.
    There were some good parts, like the interesting twist as to why these particular people disappeared, and what exactly was going on with Becca being a bit harder to guess.
    I didn't like the "evil Goddess" thing. It's an anti-Pagan trope that rubs me the wrong way, even though I do not identify as Pagan.
    Overall, the book wasn't terrible, it was just a bit too anti-Pagan and predictable for me. Though at least it wasn't preachy it was more overall anti-religion.

Narrator Rating: 4 stars
   The narrator was excellent but not spectacular. Her voice can also be a bit annoying at certain points; it just depends on her tone.

Elemental Levels:  Heartfelt-3/5   Mystery-3/5     Predictability-3.5/5   Suspense-1/5   Tear- 2.5/5     Thrill-1/5 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Mass/school shootings

natashaleighton_'s review

dark mysterious 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

House of Hollow meets Pretty Little Liars in this deliciously eerie and hauntingly addictive, Supernatural YA Thriller. Which skilfully blends the complex growing pains of adolescence, toxic friendships and R. L. Stine-worthy playground legends into a lush, hauntingly addictive tale of goddesses and revenge that I thoroughly devoured! 

“Goddess, Goddess, count to five, in the morning, who’s alive?”

On a single winter’s night, seventeen year old Nora’s life is turned upside down when her estranged best friend, Becca, mysteriously disappears. Prompting Nora to take up her own investigation and find out what happened. For Becca wasn’t the only person in their small town to suddenly vanish—three other residents are missing too. 

Uncovering coded messages believed to be from Becca, Nora delves into their shared past and the town’s infamous legend about the Goddess. And the childhood game they used to play, that may hold a clue as to Becca’s (and the other’s) whereabouts…

Satisfyingly sinister and creepy in the best of ways, this is the fifth book by Melissa Albert that I’ve read and, it’s definitely my favourite soo far! 

The prose was quintessentially Albert; atmospheric, suspenseful and soo utterly compelling that I honestly despaired at having to put it down. 

Each of our POV characters (Becca,Nora-and later on Rita) were vividly depicted and well developed, with unique voices that not only worked for their respective personalities, but also felt genuine enough to be real teenagers. However, it was the emotionally bereft Nora, struggling without the guidance of her (take charge) best friend that I found most compelling. 

Delving into her intense and complicated friendship with Becca, and the ways in which childhood bonds can shift and develop over time was incredibly fascinating—especially when juxtaposed with the relationship dynamics of other characters we encounter. 

James, a classmate of Becca’s (and the love interest to Nora’s role as Heroine) was  another character I really enjoyed getting to know. Not as in depth as our protagonists, his budding friendship/relationship was a guiding light for Nora at such a dark and turbulent time. And his easy, almost laidback demeanour worked perfectly in easing Nora into social situations she’s usually relied on Becca for. 

The piece de resistance of course, was the lore and supernatural elements that surround the Goddess, the goddess game (which was kinda reminiscent of the Light As A Feather game), and the mystery of the Goddess’ origins. Propelling our narrative into several plot twisty and magnificently well timed revelations that I was thoroughly in awe of. 

The ending was really enjoyable if not, completely satisfying in explaining all the supernatural aspects. But, this does give me hope that we’ll see more stories set in this world, or involving shadowy god-like beings who may (or may not) have their own playground rhymes and slumber party games. 

Overall, an intoxicatingly immersive read that gothic-esque fantasy or small town paranormal lovers and fans of Melissa Albert are bound to enjoy. Just be sure to check the TWs first. 

Also, a huge thank you to Nina Douglas and Penguin UK for the proof

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent

Minor: Toxic relationship, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship

justinekorson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I've been really into thrillers/horror stories recently and this one was so good! I really enjoyed Nora and Becca and how complicated their friendship had become. The love these two girls showed for each other in the book though was everything. It really encompasses I think how tightly knit friendships can be, that you would do anything for this person who is your platonic soulmate. It reminds me of the friendship between Claudia and Monday in the story "Monday's Not Coming". The similarities end there though. 

The idea of this goddess was really fun too. It made me wonder if it was an actual goddess, or a demon who had been locked away. Part of me thinks it might be an actual goddess who used to have people praying/sacrificing to her  and that Rita invoked it because of all her praying and vengeful acts against the Principal. 

I honestly don't fault young Rita for what she did and how she fed this goddess inside of her. (I support women's rights but also women's wrongs lol). I almost thought that Nora might agree with Rita and decide to continue the work of the goddess. If Becca hadn't been taken and trapped away by her then I think the two girls would have been up for something like that. (Though maybe not since Nora was really shaken by what happened when they prayed to the goddess of vengeance).

Either way this was a really good novel and I throughly enjoyed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

It's not my fav.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

Minor: Mass/school shootings and Car accident