Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

103 reviews

jadeanne's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

6/5. I just finished the book and I cannot believe how much I loved it. I heard so many good reviews so going into it I lowered my expectations just in case I didn't like it (since I found "Shadow and Bone" a struggle to get through). But Oh. My. God. This. Book. I screamed, laughed, had to put the book down, had to hit the book, had to re-read many scenes, and had to just lie there with the book open on my head. It elicited every kind of emotion, mostly one of deep, deep yearning to hug all these characters very tightly and never let go. The plot was also just so unbelievably, beautifully planned out. The world, the politics of it were fascinating. I think, honestly, part of my immediate immersion into the world was fueled by my love for the cast of the "Shadow and Bone" Netflix series (they are legit perfect). However, I know I still definitely would have loved it regardless. Found family trope is one of my favourites. I could say a million more things but I'll leave it at this: Kaz Brekker needs so, so much therapy. Highly, highly recommend. (the book. and I mean therapy too.)

p.s., I currently do not have access to Crooked Kingdom, please pray for my sanity 🙏

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Death

Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Abandonment

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

snickahz's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Addiction, Abandonment, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Slavery, Vomit, War, Torture, Drug use, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Forced institutionalization

babsi_222's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious

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

4.75

Oh my god I finally read this book and I love that so much I gave it 4.75 stars because of the very confusing world building. After a while, I started figuring out how everything works or at least that it doesn’t matter that much and I don’t have to remember every single name, but in the beginning was quite something. 
I am in love with every main character, especially Inej and well every crow and I love the little romance going on. If you know you know, I never like Matthias, though, I never did. Nina can do so much better!!
I love the ice court heist!! It was so interesting and funny, but I have no idea how to imagine that and that’s why started watching the show Shadow and bone. But I’m honestly so disappointed because first of all I didn’t like the shadow and bone triology, and the show is mainly about that, and I only love the the crows. Also, the show was not like any of the books and that make me really mad. I just wanna watch the heist not some other random mission. Anyways I need to read a different genre now, but I’ll come back for Crooked kingdom!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Slavery, Blood, Classism, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Chronic illness

prettiestwhistles's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Death, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Blood, Abandonment, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Classism, Trafficking, and Confinement

Minor: Torture

infjkiki's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Animal death, Gun violence, Slavery, Death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Torture, Gore, Trafficking, Blood, and Genocide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Excrement, Grief, Misogyny, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders

hmbrokaw's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I adore criminal mastermind children.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, Body horror, and Death

onefineelephant's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

10/10. All of the characters are so unique and compelling. I liked this book ten times better than Shadow and Bone. I am usually not into heist books or mystery novels but heist + fantasy + found family + a little bit of heartwrenching romance? Definitely my jam. I love that the book has alternating point of views between the characters but still in third person. Also, the book was able to surprise me at every turn which is not my experience with most books.

I only have two critiques: I wish all the characters were just a few years older. To me, especially the romances would be more compelling but the characters would also be more developed. Also, I think that the beginning of the book was a bit muddled and seemed to have too much all at once for introducing a new setting/social scene. Even though I read Shadow and Bone, I was still confused and disoriented about introducing how everything works in Ketterdam, especially since the characters are already established there instead of learning along with the reader.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Death, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Child death, Drug use, Hate crime, Alcohol, Blood, and Confinement

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexism

deerlybeloved's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious tense slow-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

Six of Crows is a beautiful book, and one that gave me so much more than I could ask for. At first, I had to be talked into reading it, but after the first two chapters I was hooked and desperate to continue, aching to know what happened next. Every chapter, every turn of the page, gave me foreshadowing, small details, hints to plans, twists, and outcomes I wasn't expecting.

You'll be on the edge of your seat, wanting more, and desperate to see how it all pans out for our beloved characters by the end of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Classism, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Kidnapping, Ableism, and Trafficking

Moderate: Trafficking, Sexual violence, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, War, and Slavery

Inej, one of the main characters, has a backstory HEAVILY rooted in discussion of pedophilia, child trafficking, sex trafficking, slavery, sexual slavery, rape, sexual abuse, kidnapping, and so much more. While handled with beautiful tact and insight, the depictions of flashbacks and Inej's feelings of these things can comfort survivors of similar things as much as it destroys us. Go with caution. As well, religious bigotry, ableism, trauma, emotional neglect, horrid things happening to children, war, racial fetishization, and so much more is dealt with in tactful ways, but ever presently used as reminders that the world is as imperfect and dark as it is beautiful.

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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: Classism, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gore, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Child death, Gun violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: War, Ableism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Racism, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Physical abuse, and Sexism

mxbluet18's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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? No

5.0

Trigger warnings for Six of Crows include: ableism and ableist language; indentured servitude and slavery; forced underaged sex work (in memory); child abuse (in memory); abandonment and disownment; substance and gambling addiction;
alcohol consumption and recreational drug use; drugging without consent; forced and coerced drug dependency. As well as implied panic attacks and nightmares; implied coerced suicide; blood and gore depiction, graphic physical injuries,  emesis, medical experimentation, dead bodies, plague, body modifications (with consent).
Grief depiction and death of a father, brother, family and friend; murder, attempted murder, physical assault, knife and gun violence, torture, strangulation, explosions. Kidnapping, drowning.
☆
☆
Realistically I picked this up three days ago and finished it in the early hours. Once I started it I didn't really put it down. It's a duology that's been sitting on my TBR list for a while, as was the Shadow and Bone series, and it took a while for me to get to them, which is something I regret. My friend recommended them to me a while ago, and I understand why they did now. I even sent them a message while I was reading saying that I understand the pull of Kaz Brekker now.
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One thing that really stood out to me was the amount of representation in this. Both in terms of sexuality and disability and neurodivergency. There's a bisexual character and a gay character.

 And Kaz walks with a cane because of a severe limp and chronic pain, as well as the leather gloves he always wears, which is somewhat discussed as being because of trauma and a resulting aversion to touch, he the flashbacks and fainting he experiences are potentially the result of PTSD from childhood trauma. And while it's not actually confirmed in the books, the descriptions make it fairly plain that Jesper probably has ADHD. He also has a gambling addiction.
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Two other things I feel the book does really well, and I feel are written very well is flesh out the characters, give them a really rich backstory, but make their motives subtle but clear. Like for Kaz, he clearly has a reason for persuing Pekka Rollins, and his childhood was explained in segments. But it's left to the reader to connect those dots because nothing is explicitly stated.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Trafficking, and Gun violence

Minor: Bullying and Ableism