Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

8 reviews

ghostams's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed this book! It was a really interesting take on folklore, magic, and science! I have to say up until the last 50 or so pages, I wasn’t sure which way the plot was leaning which is really impressive! This was a book equally heart-wrenching and heart-warming. One that, in my opinion, is a truly unique take on the subjects it contains!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Religious bigotry, Gore, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Child death, Death, Murder, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, and Abandonment

Minor: Torture, Vomit, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Car accident, Sexual assault, Rape, and Medical content

caitlin_123a's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, and Gore

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Cancer

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

graceev's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Car accident, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Death, and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Alcohol, and Rape

Minor: Drug use

Sister disappeared, Smoking, Missing people

bookishcookiemonster's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

Really enjoyed the twists and turns of the story

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Child death, and Murder

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A book about a lighthouse on a Scottish island and witches with a beautiful cover? I had to give it a try. But this was so much darker than I expected. 

The story is told from multiple points of view in 3 different timelines.
In 1662 several women on a small Scottish island are accused of being witches and executed. Before dying, one of these women curses the island and its inhabitants.
In 1998 Liv and her 3 daughters Clover (7), Luna (9) and Sapphire (15) come to the island, where Liv is hired to paint a mural inside the Longing, the 100 years old lighthouse built at the spot where the witches were imprisoned during their trial. Soon after their arrival, strange things begin to happen and Liv's children start disappearing. 
In 2021 Luna is still searching for her 2 lost sisters, when she gets the message that Clover has been found...

I really enjoyed the atmosphere on the island, it's history and the mystery. But there were some really dark themes here, and a lot of scenes were very hard to read, even for me. So definitely check trigger warnings beforehand. 
There were aspects of the story I did not expect at first but was pleasantly surprised by them. I think they are handled really well and lead to a satisfying conclusion. I liked how the story is plottet, and how you slowly realize what is happening. But it's heartbreaking. I think I cried straight through the last 20-30% of the book just thinking about it. 
This story shows perfectly how the irrational fear of something you don't understand can cause a lot of pain for a lot of people, even generations. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Confinement, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Drug use, and Murder

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

book_banter's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I actually thought this book would be great if it was longer. I’d love some further character development. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

unphilosophize's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Creepy and wonderful 
Loved all the timelines
Comp to discovery of witches. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Child death

Minor: Death of parent