Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Seed by Ania Ahlborn

4 reviews

maevedora's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gaslighting, and Body horror

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Cannibalism

hick's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Car accident, Child death, Violence, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Dementia, Cursing, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Panic attacks/disorders

hannanni41's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

If you're familiar with horror, particularly possession horror, it's pretty predictable. There's some good tense moments, but also a tremendous amount of gore/violence, gaslighting, and characters being absolutely unlikable. 

It feels like there were the beginnings of using possession as commentary on inherited mental illness and cycles of violence, and people's ability/inability to break them, but it just doesn't go all the way with it. It falls flat with no resolution to those themes.

If you have certain content sensitivities, do not read this book without checking out a list of content warnings. Some things are extremely graphic (almost to the point of gratuity)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Animal death, Gaslighting, Murder, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Torture, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Religious bigotry, Classism, and Forced institutionalization

sarah984's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

This was an interesting take on the family curse idea, but I just didn't think it was that well-executed. None of the characters are particularly memorable, and I think the possession happens too fast - the father thinks often about what the daughter used to be like, but she's barely ever like that on the page so it's hard to get invested. The writing uses a lot of mangled metaphors and weird adjectives (so many things are skittering, someone’s dialogue slithers, hearts are hammering in people's chests like three times per page). Also I know it's part of the theme of inevitability but SO many times in this book the main character would think of what he should do and then just completely fail to do it and it got really annoying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cannibalism, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization