Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

148 reviews

dragon_named_fox's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Holly Black really writes wonderful books. Despite Surren's character development she doesn't entirely change. Years of trauma aren't wiped away, but she does realize she has more power over her life than she thought. I'm so excited to read the second book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Body horror, Kidnapping, and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

This is a dark fantasy with violence and main characters who went through a lot of trauma from a young age. These abuses are mentioned often and explicitly from time to time, but each mention is fairly brief.

kay_chan's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

I seriously *struggled* to get through this book. Had to restart over a dozen times just to keep track of who/where/what was going on.

Honestly should've DNF'd. 

Not sure whether it's been too long since I read TCP trilogy (2.5 yrs), but I cannot remember the past characters or events well enough to connect with the any of the MCs here. The storyline is flat for 90% of the book and I kept feeling like I was -missing- something (so I restarted each chapter at least once). 

I planned on reading the duology but have decided to preemptively DNF the Prisoner's  Throne. So so so disappointed 😞 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

llcardenas's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, Gore, Death, and Child abuse

thevanessa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Definitely not the same as the Cruel Prince, but it still had that fairytale essence that I love. But with that being said, I really did miss my conniving little Queen, Jude, though. I felt like it really lacked that element of gray, that Jude always gave; the one that always kept you on your toes and on the edge of your seat in suspense, questioning where it would lead and how it would end, so I didn’t read it as quickly as I did with the Folk of the Air trilogy. I do really love Oak and Wren though, enough so that I’m gonna ignore the fact that I figured out the whole plot in the first few chapters😅

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Slavery, Physical abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Murder, Torture, Child abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use

callidoralblack's review against another edition

adventurous emotional

• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Gore, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, War, Alcohol, Blood, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Classism, Death, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, and Pregnancy

matildag00's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.5

Okay so this was unexpected!

I really enjoyed this book. It made me realize just how much of Black's writing that I have missed since the original trilogy. Annoyed at people not researching anything about the book before and then getting disappointed when Jude or Cardan isn't in this. Kind of like when people were irritated that the Folk of the Heir series wasn't about romance and there's barely any in the first book buuuut that's besides the point.

Like I said , I did enjoy this quite a bit, way more than I thought. Hated the ending but also kind of loved it and am excited to read the second one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Abandonment and Death

mariquita181's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted reflective tense fast-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

Moderate: Kidnapping and Child abuse

rory18's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.75

Only took off a quarter star because there was some weird nonsensical tense-switching. (At least in the audiobook)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Ableism, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Torture, Blood, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: War, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Kidnapping

Minor: Sexual assault, Animal death, and Sexual content

The abuse Wren goes through really has ABA/abuse of an autistic person vibes, and she's autistic coded IMO even if it's not explicit.

starrywrxtes's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

THIS DAMN BOOK. Wren is my love, I will defend her always 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Gore, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Torture, and Violence

may4la's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Gore, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: War, Violence, Slavery, and Self harm

Minor: Cannibalism