Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

82 reviews

librarianlayla's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Emotionally driven and filled with action. I could not put this book down. 

Beautifully written, haunting and at times difficult to read - but so essential. I cannot wait for the sequel. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Gore, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Torture, Vomit, War, Xenophobia, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Hate crime, and Slavery

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Honestly, I didn’t really like this book at all.  I just couldn’t seem to get into it with the characters falling flat and the stiff dialogue; the only reason I didn’t DNF is because it was an audiobook and I figured I made it half way already.

While I liked the idea of this book, fighting against a world were there was unnecessary hatred; there were just so many moments that made no sense with how the belief system worked.  Not to mention how did all the Northerns, Southerners, Easterners, and Westerners all agree all girls who bleed gold were demons but girls who bleed red were valued??  You’re telling me not one person out of all the different ideologies each group had that they didn’t noticed an issue with their system??

I don’t know if it’s because I don’t care for first person point of view or just how the book was written but I didn’t get attached to any of the characters either which is really disappointing.  However, the world building was easy to understand for a fantasy book.  It was simple and to the point.

My biggest questions though is how did no one bleed before they were sixteen?!  Women were not allowed to do “strenuous” work because they could NOT bleed before they turned sixteen years old?!

You’re telling me:

• No one lost their baby teeth until sixteen then?
• No one tripped and skinned their knee as a kid?
• No one had any medical issues until then?
• No one had bodily functions like periods until the minute of their sixteen birthday?
• That there weren’t any accidents in their everyday life that happened UNTIL they turned sixteen?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Blood, War, Sexism, Death, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Self harm, Grief, Animal death, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Genocide, Child death, and Vomit

directorpurry's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Confinement, Torture, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, War, Violence, and Gore

sammymilfort's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, War, Blood, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Colonisation, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual harassment, Torture, Emotional abuse, and Violence

_alyssar_'s review

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

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, Blood, Sexism, Sexual assault, Classism, Grief, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War

kbairbooks's review

This is a book that is intensely triggering for me and even if I wasn’t having a rough time it would still be hard. I am making the executive decision to accommodate myself and my needs and DNF this book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Torture

yulecogs's review

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, War, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Slavery

kyannarichard's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.75

It took me a bit to really gravitate to the book. But it was so good from the beginning. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Abandonment, Classism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Rape

captainoliimar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Violence, Vomit, Classism, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Blood, Child death, Kidnapping, and Medical content

Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship

analienfromouterspace's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

I picked up this book spontaneously and ended up loving it so much. The character development, plot twist and just the whole world, LOVED IT. A little slow at times, hence not 5 stars

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, and Sexism

Moderate: Death of parent, Vomit, Death, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, War, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Pedophilia