Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

11 reviews

jamieleepilk's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Gore, and Terminal illness

zghutcheson01's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug use, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Cursing

zany25's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

I think this book might work best if you read it kinda fast because there are definitely some slowdown sections that might drag, but I found enjoyable anyways. To me this book is all vibes, gothic classist mean girl lesbian vampire vibes. Which I liked, I wouldn’t say the plot is terribly strong until the ending, but if you’re along for the ride it’s definitely easy to get pulled in.

Also I’ve drawn blood for work in the real world and their blood letting descriptions were pretty spot on, aside from the sprinkling of supernatural of course, I enjoyed how they described the veins and scarring as a nice realistic touch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Minor: Mental illness, Self harm, Incest, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, and Addiction

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

In lieu of the legendary Elizabeth Bathory, this book has some amazing atmosphere, the prose is emotionally-wrenching, the cast of characters (led by a strong female lead) are nothing short of fascinating, and the horror is corporeal to a tee. Seriously, it’s a great book about exploitation, imbalance in relationship dynamics, and what it truly means to escape more than one toxic situation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Addiction, Death, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Child abuse, Grief, Self harm, Trafficking, Alcohol, Drug use, Alcoholism, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Misogyny, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, and Gun violence

Be warned, there are scenes of moderately graphic lesbian sex, ageism, and how the system pits women against one another.

miraclesnow's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective sad 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? Yes

3.5

It was enjoyable to read but nothing I’ll obsess over. Some themes & ideas that got left behind should have been thrust more to the forefront. It would have made for more interesting subtext to the story. At it stands now it felt a little samey, but still makes for good fiction.

I also think the pacing was right, but I feel the most meh about the last 10 percent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Blood, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Alcohol, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Death, Gaslighting, and Addiction

Minor: Death of parent

m_lee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Vomit, Slavery, Torture, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Classism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Violence, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Cursing, Incest, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Pedophilia

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

I picked up this book because it was the November selection for The Literally Dead Book Club.
"House of Hunger" follows Marion, a young woman who is struggling in poverty when she comes across an ad for a bloodmaid. Feeling desperate and enticed by the prospect of the fortunes she could receive; Marion decides to apply and take charge of her awful life. To her pleasure she is selected and whisked away to a wealthy woman's estate to serve as a bloodmaid. But Marion quickly discovers that this beautiful life is not easy, and she may have bitten off more than she can handle.
This story was haunting, gothic, and beautiful. This book is perfect to read in October/November because the setting is so creepy, and this vampiric story will suck you in. I loved all of the details of setting we got throughout the story and the ornate details about the characters, especially the other bloodmaids.
I really felt for Marion and was really pulling for her. Coming from the slums with deceased parents and an abusive brother has shown Marion the absolute worst life has to offer. She could have let that defeat her, but she worked hard and took chances to better herself. Even once she became a bloodmaid, she still struggled to fit in with the other bloodmaids. Some of them were nasty and cruel to her, but she still worked to be her best.
This story was incredible, and I cannot wait to pick up more from Alexis Henderson. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Blood, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Classism, and Death

Moderate: Drug use and Death of parent

bootsmom3's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Gore

Minor: Death of parent and Death

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Drug use, Death, Body horror, Drug abuse, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Dementia, Addiction, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Cannibalism, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Confinement, Self harm, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

thepencilhead's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Body horror, Chronic illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Murder, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Gore, Gaslighting, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Death

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, and Torture