Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

104 reviews

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

karingforbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was so much better than I remembered! We see Bitterblue deal with the repercussions of her father's reign, and trust being rebuilt, and betrayal, and no blatantly painful romance, and Katsa and Po, and the politics of being a Queen. Watching Bitterblue figure out how to be Queen, despite her advisors, and through everything she has to work through herself, as well as what her kingdom has to work through, was amazing. Cashore does a good job of showing how people deal with trauma individually, and how a leader can be isolated from it even though they want to be there for their people. This is on par with my love for Graceling.
6/22/20: 5 stars. Amazing. I love watching these characters deal with the aftermath in different ways. I love the way she writes relationships and shows various ones being ok. I love that all three books combine. Amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, and Violence

patandbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a bit harder for me to finish compared to the first two. I find that our MC is very different from our previous ones and I think that's what kinda threw me off. Bitterblue is a queen, she does not get a lot of tense action-packed moments also add on to the fact that she's governing a country that has been under control her father for 30 years. It's a really difficult, complicated and delicate situation. I can how much she's struggling and I was right there with her frustrations and desperations. She's been trying to hold an entire kingdom together since she was 10 and there is so much she still doesn't know and realize. It feels like she's so alone and kept out by well-meaning people in her life. It was hard to read because I can tell there was so much she's not seeing but also is being kept from her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Suicide

angelareads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicide, and Grief

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder