Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

7 reviews

redlikeroses's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Chronic illness

Minor: Vomit

fancyjess_party's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? No

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Murder, Cursing, Violence, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child death, Death, and Terminal illness

oceans_hannah's review against another edition

dark lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Not something I'd usually pick up. Loved the descriptions of the Scottish landscape and the references to folklore. Did get a bit confusing at times but overall a really enjoyable read!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Cancer, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Death, and Murder

elizabethwebb's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Alcohol, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Vomit

julieyael's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was a wonderful read. Not a real horror book to my opinion, more an eery and mysterious one. 
The setting is quite ominous, and we feel something is off but the plot twist is hard to guess. 

The characters have enough background to be interesting and the story is well written. 
Some typically Scottish words were sometimes hard for me (I am not a native english speaker), but it was interesting to learn things😉

I did not rate this book with 5 stars because in my opinion some parts of the plot remains blurry. Also at times, some characters are acting in a not so logical way and I found it annoying. 

But other than that I fell in love with this book and probably will read it again in the future. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Death of parent, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Murder, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness

Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Grief, Torture, Rape, and Alcohol

tigerlilliereads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review

Honestly, I put this book off for way too long because I am in love! I picked up the book based off of the cover (I know!) and the fact it had witches in the title. Little did I know this book would have so many more levels than I could ever imagine. I’m not one to read a thriller book, and I loved it. 

This story tells of some characters narrating from different time zones about their time on a Scottish island called Lòn haven. I’m trying to not give too much away as the story is very cleverly written with lots of interlinking. The story features Liv and her three daughters, Saff, Luna and Clover as they arrive on the island and Liv is tasked with painting a mutual in the lighthouse. Whilst there the family learns about the dark secrets and mysteries, witches and wildings that haunt the suspicious and cruel towns people. 

I love a witchy story but this one had so many more levels and so much more grounding in reality. The poignant message the story brings is still relevant now as it was back in the 1600s. The focus on the Scottish witch killings that are barely known about is, not only interesting, but also vital for those stories to be given a voice. I recently read A kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll and it also features this topic too. 

Honestly, this book is great and mirroring and interlinking of past and present and that ending! I am looking forward to reading more from this author! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Terminal illness

what_heather_loves's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.0

"The Longing was still intimidating in the light of day. The sheer height of it made my mouth run dry...It was the most beautiful building I'd ever laod eyed on, and the saddest. Both cathedral and asylum. A monument to hooe, and to loneliness."

Set over three timelines and told from four perspectives – mother Liv and eldest daughter Sapphire in 1998 and middle daughter Luna in 2021 as well as a 1662 perspective from, initially, someone unknown - this is haunting and atmospheric story is set on remote Scottish island, Lòn Haven. In 1998, Liv is an artist and has been engaged by the reclusive owner to paint a mural on the internal walls of the Island’s lighthouse ‘The Longing’ – she is also fleeing from something, which has fractured her family.The lighthouse is dilapidated and has a history of witch huntings and the Island is full of supersticious and unwelcoming locals. Liv learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for witches. 

By 2021 we know the family of women, aside from Luna, went missing. Where did they go and how does it connect with The Longing's connection with witches? Luna returns to the island twenty two years later to find out.

I found this started slow and whilst it picked up, the three different time periods and four perspectives were somewhat confusing, plus there are so many characters. The characters are mainly well fleshed out, with Liv having her own problems to cope with as well as trying to keep her family together, but I wanted to know more about the 1662 witches and the grimoire. Despite some of the villagers appearing welcoming, there is a sinister undercurrent, which makes for an eerie read, but I struggled a little with the supernatural element (personal choice, some will love it). 

A standalone novel that combines the paranormal with science fiction and a thriller revolving around a single-parent family and the lighthouse’s past history, this is great Halloween reading

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Chronic illness and Violence

Minor: Abandonment