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booksandcats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Trafficking and Murder
isabellaoliveira's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and Self harm
lizzyf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy
kymzii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
tillyjournals's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
hugsowls's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
kitpotter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Minor: Dementia
wifeslife's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
froukjereads's review against another edition
3.5
I read it to see where she would take Cormoran and Robin, and I’ll give her some stars for that. It was much better than the ink-black heart, and I love Strike and Robin as much as I hate the author.
I feel like JKR needs to stop putting her real life grievances into her books (last time it was cancel culture, now she has
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
I cannot believe the number of content warnings I have had to add to this book.lukerik's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Anyway, at one point a character gets a bit flustered and says:
‘Like, he got what it’s like, to be… what it feels like, not to be… like, to be different, you know?’
Beautifully observed. And when characters say ‘only’ with a silent l she writes it o’ny. If she’d gone for ony or on’y my eye would have seen it as a short o. We’re lucky to get this level of detail in a writer’s work. This book has been published by Hachette. There are a few typos but it’s pretty easy to work out which word is missing or substituted.
It’s not really a spoiler to say that in this one Robin goes undercover in a cult. It happens pretty early on, though this being a 1000 page book that’s a relative term. I found these chapters really tense. It was a relief when it would cut back to Strike. We’re not talking Sarah Waters levels of tense, but I’ve not seen Rowling maintain that level of danger-tension for so long before. Sexual tension, yes.
So the main theme of the novel appears to be social withdrawal. I can’t mention some of the big examples because it’d spoil the plot, but one big one would be the cult members withdrawing physically from their friends and family. Robin is in a sense withdrawing from Murphy by going undercover. Other withdrawals are via death, which is a very rude way of doing it if you ask me. Not all withdrawals are voluntary. Strike’s uncle for example cannot help his withdrawal as his mind collapses.
This brings us to the second bit theme, personal agency. To what extent are the cult members responsible for their withdrawal and actions generally when they’ve been brainwashed? It’s a very humane novel.
It’s also well balanced. In withdrawing into the cult, the members are also joining a new society, and in leaving the cult are re-entering the new one. The prime example of this social insertion, this leap of faith comes in the epilogue. Be careful what reviews you read before getting to it.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, and Murder