Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

38 reviews

annabel155's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Blood

kalehouse's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

gothic fantasy. if you’re a fan of wolf and the woodsman, i think this is very much in the same vein! similar character development and folklore. a little less mystical and a little more gothic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

erinreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder

kaedau's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

slvt4b00ks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This story follows Marlinchen, one of three daughters of the greatest wizard in Obylan, as she forges her own path despite living under an abusive father and alongside wicked sisters. Marlinchen soon finds herself driven to disobey her fathers orders to not leave the house after one night at the ballet in Obylan where she meets the heartbreakingly beautiful and tortured Sevastyian. As Marlinchen is sneaking out and living her best life, there is a monster stalking the streets of Obylan stealing the hearts and livers of men. 

This has been my all time favorite book I have read. Period. Reid is a master of weirdly beautiful and unique metaphors and other literary devices. I had no idea people could write and create such beautiful captivating atmospheres that are equally as horrifying and dark.

I couldn’t name all of the trigger warnings that this needs to be filed under. There were parts of this that were very difficult to read. Expect rape, abuse, alcoholism, cannibalism, self mutilation, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, so on and so forth.

That being said I think the author touched on every single one of those sensitive subjects with brutal honesty and also something like grace. 

For a majority of the book I found the story very character driven. Toward the end it picked up but it was so worth it. Highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

tinybluepixel'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

starrysteph's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

Juniper & Thorn explores how trauma shapes us, how we desperately look for meaning & purpose in dark circumstances, and how you live with your past.

Specific content warnings at the end of this review: but this book is about trauma. 

We follow Marlinchen, a fairytale-obsessed plain-faced third daughter. Her mother is gone and her wizard father is cursed to never feel satisfaction; he is controlling and cruel to his girls. Marlinchen and her sisters are witches; they treat clients with their various skills (though their father spends the rubles and is xenophobic - so VERY particular about the clientiele) and they are not permitted to leave their home.

One night, the three girls sneak out to see a ballet show: and Marlinchen falls head over heels for the lead dancer, Sevas. She now must balance her first secret with her deep desire and the trauma of her past. And to add to the stakes - there’s a monster on the loose, terrorizing the city.

There’s brilliance here - Reid skillfully integrates fairytale tropes with darkness and horror. There’s also deep vulnerability - Marlinchen is living with trauma and has shrunken into herself; there’s a major theme of dehumanization.

The pacing ebbed and flowed; there were moments I couldn’t put the book down but also scenes that were far too slow for my taste. I think a large issue here was some overdone repetition - like I get it, the rule of threes is important, the sisters are beautiful and Marlinchen is plain, Marlinchen is blushing 99% of the time. Some of it boiled down to intrusive thoughts and folkloric obsessiveness tied into Marlinchen’s trauma; that made sense to me. But others felt like Reid was shouting at the reader. Remember this?? Don’t forget this foreshadowing!! Let me hold your hand, reader!! It felt like an editing issue, alongside some slightly-cringey & overdone analogies. 

I felt like we got to know Marlinchen quite well; the supporting characters were not always so fleshed out. Her sisters, for example, felt quite limited. And for a book that takes place largely in one location, the world-building was a bit vague & confusing. I’ve read The Wolf & the Woodsman and felt that gave me a significant leg-up in understanding some of the hierarchies. 

Finally, I didn’t particularly enjoy the romance. For me, it felt very insta-lovey and lacked the depth and lyricality and complexity that Reid gave to the rest of the storyline. I wasn’t ever truly rooting for them as a pair.

I felt like Reid is continuing to strengthen their voice and explore the themes she most wants to write about. This writing feels vulnerable and powerful. There’s a lot I admired about this storytelling. I’m looking forward to reading whatever she puts out next.

CW: blood, body horror, death, murder, emotional abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse (child), cannibalism, antisemitism, xenophobia, gaslighting, racism, eating disorder, vomiting, self harm, suicidal thoughts, animal death, animal cruelty, incest, explicit sexual content

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

chloevienna's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad 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

3.75

really good!! darker than i usually read, but i see why it’s getting the praise it is - i actually wish it had gone a little darker at the end! my one criticism: the pacing. nothing substantial happens until 70% of the way through the book, and sometimes it felt like something would happen and then be undone and then happen and then- you get it. it just felt a bit all over the place, and like the author had trouble sticking to her decisions so tried to leave herself openings. with that out of the way, though, i want to praise this book - it has some of the best and richest writing i’ve ever come across. the author is clearly passionate about the english language; everything is vivid and detailed. the world-building was well done and easy to imagine, and i loved all the lore about the creatures. overall, i’d say this is worth the read!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Misogyny, Rape, and Abortion