Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Malice by Heather Walter

47 reviews

princess_sara_sparkles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Violence, Death, Blood, Child abuse, Body shaming, Self harm, Body horror, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Torture, and War

cnaccarato's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Self harm, Classism, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Violence, Abandonment, Gore, Torture, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, and Drug abuse

wolfski26's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

sav_22's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Xenophobia, Ableism, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug use, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Slavery, Bullying, Drug abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Violence, and War

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Colonisation, Torture, Medical content, and Outing

quitegood's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

This is a book of two halves, literally and figuratively. Literally in that the book is split into two parts, but figuratively because if you judged this book on its first half and assumed it wasn't worth your time, you'd be missing out on a thrilling and explosive second half. But I wouldn't blame you if you had dropped this book based on the first 200 pages. 
I want to be charitable and say the slower first part is necessary for the second half to have its impact, but that's like saying a long speach on careful fiscal planning enhances the fireworks show afterwards. Not to say the first half is that tedious, but you do feel like little is happening, and that which does happen feels like a contrivance.

I wish I knew who Alyce was before I learned of her abuse. The book explores it fully come the second half, but in the first half, Alyce comes across as petulant and petty. Later we learn she has good reason to be, but I feel it would been better know this first, not retroactively.

But this book does punch you in the feels, so you've been warned! If you have any trauma at all from your childhood and are not in a good place regarding it, might be best to skip this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

fin_pilot's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

frantically's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

4.0

This turned so unexpectedly dark in the last third and I loved it so much! The retelling aspect worked so well — the ending relies on the original fairytale but in a way I didn't expect at all. I'm a bit unsure about how Alyce acted in the last chapters, it is all in line with her characters, I guess I'm just not as used to actual villains being the main character 😅 Interested to read the next one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Blood, and Bullying

Moderate: Torture, Homophobia, and Xenophobia

Minor: Self harm, War, and Death of parent

ashybear02's review against another edition

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

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

skylarblue2010's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Homophobia

thenovelmaura's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-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? Yes

2.5

I was excited to read this book for our #ViolentQueensBookClub because I love fairy tale retellings and this one promised a sapphic spin along with a villain origin story. Amazing concept but the execution was lacking, with flat characters and a huge letdown of an ending. I enjoy seeing a good character spiral into an evil one (see Marie Lu's "Young Elites" trilogy), whether they're motivated by a desire for revenge or are simply misunderstood. But Alyce was depicted as a goodhearted character until she randomly snapped at the end

and started murdering dozens of people???

. 

I did enjoy Alyce and Briar's relationship and how organic it felt. However, a few heartfelt moments between the two of them wasn't enough to make up for everything else.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Violence

Moderate: Murder and Homophobia