Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

5 reviews

loverrbboy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.0

bought this years ago purely for the cool cover. would be rated higher but there is a DISTINCT lack of fox patting. not anything i’d usually read, but the 15th century lingo was very cool to read. much horse riding. learned a lot about the rich of England and how those sorts of households are run.
i don’t really understand the climax of the story, where she had some real life version of the Nightmare. was she cursed?? idk i was hoping for more explanation, as well as more happy reuniting and thanking.. maybe a room in the manor for fox girl???
regardless this captivated me more than i expected after putting it off for so long

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kibiiiariii's review against another edition

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

3.0


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reka111's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

What do we say to Father when he goes on a hunt?                                               Don’t kill the foxes!

Date: 2022.09.01
STOPPED AT 21%
I will probably continue in the future, but right now it somehow doesn't enchant me, even though it is an interesting and well-written book.
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Date: 2022.10.19
I definitely had to give this book time.  And this time I made the right decision (it's a miracle haha). If anyone asks me if I liked this book, I really can't say yes or no, because it's much deeper than that.
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Fleetwood was one of my favorite characters in this book, she wanted the child just as much as her husband Richard and her mother. Her friendship with Alice was really close and she needed her just as much as Alice needed her, she was there and saved her from death just as Alice saved her. 

I can compare Alice to a mouse, a very brave mouse. My soul wept for her, wept because she was treated this way, and she was innocent! 

I hate Roger, in fact I feel something much deeper than hatred for him. 

Richard is very complicated for me, I can't adjust to him and I don't want to, a part of me despises him very deeply, but another is grateful to him for ultimately doing the right thing. 

Basically, the action takes place in 16th century England during the reign of James I (who was very famous for the witch hunts) and I have to admit that this is one of my favorite eras! It was relatively easy to read and interesting (especially the witches, who I would have liked to have read more about them) I didn't know what I needed in this life, but now I know, whatever force, creature or even fate made me continue this book, I owe its my soul!

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raemow's review against another edition

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

3.0


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nataliaf4's review

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5 stars! This book gripped me from cover to cover. I adored the characters and gothic setting and the main friendship in this is one of my favorite literary female/female friendships to date!

TW: descriptions of miscarriage and stillbirth, animal death, gaslighting, blood, and mentions of sexual abuse of a minor.

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