Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Threadneedle by Cari Thomas

26 reviews

samnotwise's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

2.0

Started out good but ultimately didn't care for the last half of the novel. The characters weren't entirely likeable, except for one or two, but I enjoyed this as it fit in with the plot. I think I would sum it up as the magic system didn't really work and actions didn't seem to have consequences. However, the intial action and some characters made the novel worth reading. 

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ka_t's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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? Yes

4.75

Not my usual genre of book at all, but really enjoyed it. The story was very engaging and the descriptions of some of the works they were in was captivating in its details: the library, the club, the park, etc. 
Looking forward to the next part of the story. 

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madamepincers's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0


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meganlowe87's review against another edition

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

3.75

I’m so torn with this book.
On one hand, I loved the magic system and what happens, and the cast of characters.
On the other hand, the binders aren’t explained until literally 300 pages in (of 555). I mean, I gathered what they were, but it was never explained.
Then, things plod along for 480 pages, with bits happening that aren’t entirely relevant, then bam! Those last 70 pages everything happens.
Also, there is another book to this. It’s not a stand-alone, so be prepared when starting this, it won’t be finished.
As I said, the cast were great. I love Attis and Rowlands in particular and I’d love to see more of Oliver. There was some truly beautiful writing in it as well, but this book was a bit of a slog. Not anything I considered DNFing, but definitely a slog.

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rosienreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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

 Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anna has been brought up to believe magic is a curse, something that should be suppressed and bound, but its temptation is strong and when the wild and carefree Effie joins her school, Anna might just get a taste of the magic she’d spent so long trying to resist. 

This was a book that had all in the ingredients for a perfect reading spell. From the cast of characters to the story and, of course, the magic. While I can see Anna being frustrating for some, I particularly enjoyed her character arc as she battled between ‘no-one’ persona she’d cultivated to appease her aunt, and the personality that had been hidden away. I felt the book did a good job of exploring her doubts and divided loyalties between her friends and her aunt, the woman who raised her. 

I particularly enjoyed how to book balanced the various relationships within the story, from the family aspect to the friendships and then the romantic elements. It was refreshing to see the friendships be the primary focal point, despite the romance being particularly relevant for the main plot, and coming away from the book those are the elements I remember the strongest. The group of friends was fun to read in how they came together and played off each other. 

My favourite part of the book was the magic. The way it was depicted and how it was treated in the lore of the book caught my imagination. That there were different languages of magic, from the knots of the binders to the plant work of Rowan’s family, made for interesting and varied uses within the book and it was fun thinking of what kind of magic language I would use. Given that the series title appears to be ‘The Language of Magic’ according to Goodreads, this seems to be a concept that will be picked up and explored more in later books, which I am there for. 

Overall, this was a solid read. I enjoyed the development and seeing how it played out, as well as integrating the magic and over-arching plot with a group of high-school girls having fun while on a journey of self-discovery within a school setting. It did have its slow moments. It also didn’t shy away from depicting abuse and the darker side of magic either, which could potentially be disturbing for some readers. Even so, this book was very much my cup of tea and I am intrigued for where it will go from here. 


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kirstieellen's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0


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