Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

103 reviews

daphnehumming's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read Bitterblue before Graceling & Fire, which puts me in a bit of a different mindset. It is one of my favorite books of all time. I love that it is a story about how we heal from collective trauma & balancing the conflict of those things. I love how Bitterblue comes into herself, and makes mistakes. While the romance is not my favorite, I admire the perspective the love interest brings into the narrative. That said, it could be very triggering for some.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse

Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, and Torture

Minor: Sexual violence

shishirin's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

I want a library with a Death and Lovejoy of my own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

candelibri's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Grief

lapis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Don't get me wrong, this is an excellent book. 

But it's long, painful, and relevant (despite being written quite a while ago).  It's really hard to read as a result!

Please read it, but exercise caution. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Sexual Assault:

Discussed as a matter in the past

Abuse:

mostly just allusions to stuff in the past

Suicide:

One person commits suicide, others struggle with suicidal thoughts

jella's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Habe nicht erwarte, dass mich die Geschichte so packen wird. Mein liebster Band der Reihe. Auch der (psychisch) brutalste.

Wie in den Vorgängern endet auch diese Geschichte gut, jedoch muss der Hauptcharakter auf etwas verzichten. In Band 1 war es das Augenlicht von Katsas Gefährten, in Band 2 waren es zwei Finger von Fire und hier ist es die Liebe von Bitterblue. Saf stirbt zwar nicht, geht jedoch fort, obwohl sie einander lieben und obwohl er bleiben könnte. Autsch.

Auch wenn das Ende dem nach nicht 100% zufriedenstellend war, würde ich dafür nichts abziehen. Ich finde die Entscheidung der Autorin eigentlich mutig. In der Mitte der Geschichte wäre es unnötiges Drama, aber hier am Ende wandelt es sich eher zu Realismus.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

4.0

Like Fire, this is a fairly slow moving book. While it picks up in plot towards the end, the way it's written still feels slow. However, this fits the nature of the story. Bitterblue is trying to pick up the mess her father made, and many are afraid of confronting the past. Therefore, her journey to the truth is a long, winding one.

While you can read this book without reading the previous two (I think), there's nuggets of backstory you'll miss. This book really draws all 3 together. I loved being able to see Bitterblue's journey play out, and I was honestly hooked until the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Blood

Minor: Kidnapping

radreadswithrachel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m so glad that reread this now as an adult. I can understand and appreciate the story I never did as a child. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Dementia, and Trafficking

kettijane55's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

ailsaod's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I thought Graceling was a standalone so I was pleased to discover the existence of Bitterblue, then I read the first three chapters and chickened out for two or so years. I thought it Bitterblue's investigation was heading for imminent crushing embarrassment and I didn't fancy dealing with that however upon trying again I can say this book is very good and I didn't get any second hand embarrassment! 

Ultimately this book is a mystery set in a fantasy world and in the first half the questions just keep on piling up until it feels like there is no possible way to answer them all! Then some of the mysteries begin to be revealed and oh boy it gets more intense from there.

I am a little conflicted about Bitterblue as a character. On the one hand she is pretty great as she is very determined to discover the truth and wants to do the right thing and holds herself accountable when she realises she's made mistakes. However I found that the incident that starts her off on her quest for answers is not anywhere near big enough to make her so determined so quickly. Like if her curiosity could have been aroused so easily surely it would have happened sooner??

It was nice to catch up with many of the characters from Graceling and to see how they've grown up and there are a lot of interesting Monsean side characters. I especially liked Death (the librarian - his name rhymes with teeth!) and his cat, Lovejoy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Suicide

Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Most of the content warnings refer to past events, some of which are elaborated on in flashback scenes

annaluzia's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.0

Loved it! Will write more when I'm getting home, but I don't have my laptop with me right now ...
*edit 10.04.2021:
I have no idea how to rate this book, to be honest. Plotwise and in terms of being an adventure and entertaining it falls flat compared to Fire and Graceling, but the character work is brilliant and I love love love the way she looks at a kingdom that had just suffered from tyranny, memory loss and no clue as to what the truth is. After studying the dictatorships in Latin America I feel like there are so many things I can now understand way better. The search for truth, for the disappeared, not knowing how to look forward, the power of art. 
I think that this book is really impactful in a lot of ways, but it won't be for anyone. Also love the bits of self-reflection of the author in her notes and acknowledgements, it shows growth and I really respect her for that, and her writing. 
Be aware of trigger warnings though, this is not an easy book! (not AS bad as I'm putting them, but it's primarily about the characters working through their traumas) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism