Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

506 reviews

lalapaka13's review

dark emotional 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

3.75

I am majorly concerned by the fact that every time I've tried to buy this book I've been pointed to the children's section. This is not a reflection on the book, but now that I've read it I cannot emphasise enough how much this book is NOT for children.

It was DEEPLY disturbing throughout in a way that I'm finding very difficult to describe, I think because there was such an undercurrent of sexual violence on literally every page. There are a number of very graphic sex scenes and SO MANY nipples and like, not in a good way. Huge amounts of the plot hinge on detailed childhood abuse and trauma, as well as violence, cannibalism and disordered eating.

Personally, I thought this book was incredibly well written in a way that made me horribly intrigued. I couldn't stop reading, the same way you can't stop looking at a car crash. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys a book that really gets under your skin, I think I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Body horror, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Eating disorder, Self harm, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Vomit, Antisemitism, Murder, and Sexual violence

hennie's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

erks's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

Not sure what I expected from this book but it was very mid. The protagonist felt very dull even during her major character development points

(also her not getting the final blow on her own father at the end, which would have been a significant character moment? She ends up being saved by a man because feminism)

, and I got bored of reading her pov after chapter 5. Instead I wanted to see narratives from her sisters, heck even her dad, as awful as he is.

Also just not a fan of this writing style, the amount of times the words breasts or seed I read gave me the ick

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Xenophobia, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

ska1224's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Gore, Racism, Sexual violence, War, Murder, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Body horror, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

booksandcatsand'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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Okay, my copy did not say gothic horror on it, so be warned: this book is dark!! And maybe not for everyone. 

That being said, the writing was beautiful and rich and creepy, and I want to read it again someday.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cannibalism, Body horror, Physical abuse, Self harm, Vomit, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

nikenacs's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Xenophobia, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Violence, Antisemitism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Self harm

studiouspencil's review against another edition

dark hopeful sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Cannibalism

msrae89's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Self harm, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Murder, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Vomit

plutomist's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Gore, and Sexual assault

toastyghosty13's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

This book was exceptionally dark. I thought I had an idea of what might happen in this book based on a different book I read by the same author (A Study in Drowning) and was still surprised. This book follows Marlinchen, the youngest of 3 girls in a family with a widower. She repeatedly draws the short end of the stick on everything from looks, social skills, chores throughout the house, and treatment from her father and sisters. Their mother is no longer with them and she does her best to enjoy life while being the daughter of an abusive father, the famed last wizard in the town they live in and who has also been cursed by a witch whose livelihood he ruined. 

Marlinchen entertains her sisters' midnight shenanigans of sneaking out to see the ballet and she falls in love with the dancing, and more specifically the leading man dancing in it. 

This goes on to be a story of betrayal and finding love in even the darkest of places. It is a very dark story that made it difficult to get through sometimes, but still was very satisfying to read. I recommend to anyone that likes dark books and characters who have all the odds stacked against them. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia