Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Das neunte Haus by Leigh Bardugo

170 reviews

_lazyreader_3565's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Self harm, Grief, Gore, and Toxic relationship

abundance_of_fiction's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.25

DONT GIVE UP ON NINTH HOUSE!
This book was sooooo slow to start. It caused me to go into a book slump, and not read a page for 2 months. I opened the book on March 11 and could not FORCE myself through the introduction. The lore building was elaborate and just seemed to drag me along with no purpose; so, I just couldn’t get the hype. Everyone told me to finish it, so I finally got the audiobook and OH MY GOD!!!

A 9 month journey finished in 2 days! The audio book was great and got me through the introduction and into the thick of the story. I quickly got the physical version back out and blew through the last 100 pages. The lore and lagging have SO MUCH payoff. Not entirely unpredictable, but just enough that you’re engaged, the twists in the stories keep the pages turning.

I am SO GLAD I didn’t give this one up, because I am now fully invested in the chaos that is Galaxy Stern! I am jumping straight into book 2. I NEED our Darling boy to be okay and can’t wait to see what is next.

So, YES READ THE BOOK. But also, don’t feel bad if it takes you almost a year. It IS worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Death, Violence, and Rape

Moderate: Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Blood, Classism, Excrement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror

gwynnfox's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Trafficking, Violence, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

mylargirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Gore, Death, Violence, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Physical abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Adult/minor relationship

laraloops's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

One of the best urban fantasy books I've had the pleasure of reading. It's a very very dark book - I would highly recommend looking up trigger warnings for the book if you are not prepared for some very dark content. The prose is beautifully written and the main character is tough but not in a grating way. I felt she and other characters were very realistic and I got attached to them very quickly. 

You can tell the author really wanted to bring Yale to life in this book - the setting is very detailed and is a character in itself. 

Pacing wise it was slow at the beginning but I found myself grateful for that as I had a hard time keeping track of the houses and code names. By the time you get a third of the way into the book the plot really starts picking up and it's a wild ride to the end. It was rough to get through at times, Alex (the main character) has had a depressingly sad life but I found the portrayals of the abuse she suffered felt realistic rather than gratuitous.  

By the end I was immediately ready for the next book - a five star read that I would recommend to anyone who can stomach dark content and wants a well written urban fantasy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Child abuse

Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse

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

5.0

MEU DEUS. QUE LIVRO BOM! A história te prende enquanto o mundo de Alex desabrocha na sua frente. A mudança de perspectivas é perfeita! No final eu mudei umas 5 vezes entre "como ela vai conseguir terminar a história nesse livro" e "como vai ter mais coisa pra ser contada no livro seguinte". Um começo maravilhoso, um meio intrigante e um final extremamente satisfatório. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gore, Blood, Sexism, Rape, Excrement, Violence, Murder, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cancer, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

hnicole01's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, Grief, Sexism, Rape, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Violence, and Cursing

Moderate: Classism

prairieraven's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, and Violence

cloud_kitty_cat's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Grief, Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

colittle's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

Wonderful prose, but the worldbuilding felt rushed at times and dragged at others. The characters were not as three-dimensional as one would expect from a book of this length, though some were likeable enough. At times the dialogue felt as real as an overheard conversation, and other times it was full of snappy, whiplash comebacks that fell utterly short of realism. 

Felt like a YA novel with gore and sexual content thrown in as set dressing; when mature themes were actually discussed, it was brief and without depth. SA used gratuitously and egregiously as a plot device, with a minor character in one instance seeming to forget about it overnight— ick. 

Biggest strength was the use of tension and suspense; while I didn’t always enjoy reading Ninth House, I kept turning the pages all the same. 

A competent book overall, but that should be a given from a bestselling author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Sexual assault