Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

209 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

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

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

jeslo's review against another edition

dark

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Vomit, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Self harm, Gore, Pedophilia, Violence, Misogyny, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Trafficking, and Body horror

Moderate: Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Please please please please read with care

narsere's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Confinement, Animal death, Vomit, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Pedophilia, and Alcoholism

callistag1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Sexism, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Murder, Gore, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Death, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Classism, Vomit, Violence, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

comfy_anna's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Cannibalism, Body horror, Murder, Body shaming, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Addiction, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Outing, Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Death, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abandonment and Abortion

njrebecca's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Gore, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

courtzab's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

Definitely different from anything I'm used to reading. Perhaps going in blind on this one was a mistake; the TW's don't bother me, it just wasn't something I was expecting.

The writing was beautiful! I'm just not certain that gothic horror is for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Eating disorder, Gore, Xenophobia, and Cannibalism

tayo2000's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.5

I just think Ava Reid as an author isn’t for me. Although I think she’s a good writer, and she tackles the themes she chooses to write about well, I find they never come together in a cohesive and enjoyable story for me. 

This book is no exception. This was…messy. The plot moved incredibly slowly, with nothing really happening until the last 1/4 of the book. It was overall just too much trying to be accomplished in a 300 page book in terms of theme, and the plot suffered due to this. The character development wasn’t great either. It was definitely a let down. Although you can certainly see Ava’s writing shining in some spots while tackling some of these intense themes, I overall just think it was too convoluted in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Self harm, Cannibalism, and Sexual assault