Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

21 reviews

drjoannehill's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Very creepy from the start, but as much a commentary on women's powerlessness in the 1860s - when it was very easy for an accusation of insanity to be used to lock someone up and medicate them up to the eyeballs - as about ghostly goings on. Leaves lots to readers' imaginations to conclude what was happening, which is okay but there were some big gaps in the narrative - perhaps that was intentional. 

The last of my library haul (and I visited today, leaving empty handed!) so I need to get on with clearing the 50+ books I've got at home

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Blood, Child death, Toxic friendship, and Miscarriage

leswampwitch's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A well told horror story!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Child abuse and Death of parent

heimax's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, and Death of parent

sam_plott's review against another edition

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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Pregnancy, Child death, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Vomit and Blood

gothic_moss's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Wow! What a thrilling, horrific ride! I really liked this book's dark Victorian, and Gothic atmosphere/setting. The writing style was perfect-stylish and to the point, and once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I can't decide whether I liked the ending or not though, It was delightfully shocking, but I may have wanted more explanation? I'm not sure to be honest, as I am still processing it. 
If you like Victorian horror, spooky houses, creepy dolls/portraits, family secrets, unreliable narrators, and a non-chronological timeline, you'll love this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Pregnancy, Vomit, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

aloy's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Child death, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Murder, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Violence, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical content, Gore, Drug use, Classism, Grief, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, and Animal death

Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Racial slurs

Minor: Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry

immovabletype's review against another edition

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? Yes

3.25

this book is perfectly paced and builds tension and fear very well. i admit i'm an easy mark when it comes to haunted houses but fwiw this definitely gave me some real chills. i flew through the last third of the book. unfortunately it fell short of its potential for me. in particular this is a historical, victorian novel steeped in the expectations on women from outside of their control and within themselves - a lot of themes of what it means for a woman to be mad, and it blurs the line a bit. i was into it, and then some reveals happened that seemed to undercut that commentary. by the time it got to its ambiguous ending (ugh) it didn't even have the power to annoy me as much as it usually does because i was already disappointed.

i can't really say much further without spoilering since my gripes hinge on a big twist, but i am going to include them (under spoilers) in my content warnings below.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Ableism, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Classism, Grief, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Gore, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Alcohol, Animal death, Confinement, Infertility, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Vomit, Child abuse, and Drug use

expanding on infertility triggers, as well as additional ableism/disfigurement prejudice: there is a disfigured child who is mute due to a birth defect. it's believed she was born without a tongue because her mother used witchcraft to conceive her when she was unable to conceive. big, plot important spoilers:

this conjecture is 'proven' true; her mother allowed something evil to enter her child when she conceived her outside of natural means.

also beware of many inexplicit mentions of CSA.

aseel_reads's review against another edition

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This was definitely quite creepy and I liked the different timelines, but I'm not sure how I feel about the ending?? 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Child death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Stalking

poetrydragon's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Child death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Suicide, Animal death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness

Minor: Child abuse

cinderrunner's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

It was slow moving for me at the start. But once i got about halfway through, it picked up substantially and i zipped through the remainder of the book. Very gothic and atmospheric. The overall mood, especially at the Bridge gives very much Wuthering Heights vibes. Concept is fun and fairly orignal. Very haunting. A little gory without being overly grotesque. Saw the end reveal coming but getting there was fun so i didnt mind. Check trigger warnings for this one cause there are a lot. I will never be okay with a modern book using slurs and stereotypes against Romani people regardless of when the book is set. The plot could have been just as successful without that nonsense so shame to the author for that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Suicide attempt, Racism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Gore, Xenophobia, Suicide, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Violence, Miscarriage, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Confinement