Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen

83 reviews

bookwyrm25's review against another edition

5.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The characters are hardly that lovable, but you can’t help but root for them in the very end. I admit  the last part of the book made me like them a little more, but just barely so. Either way I adore the ending and the entire journey was dark, eerie, and disturbing. It was a fantastic ride, and a great take on vampirism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse

worldenderbebe's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent

novellearts's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Not exactly what I expected! I liked that this was a vampire book but with a special twist that added a certain uniqueness to such a common concept.

This book started off slow for me and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. If you feel that way, give it a chance because it really does pick up. The writing was beautiful, atmospheric, and unsettling. I loved reading about the bog and as weird as this is, the autopsied body. There was so much mystery surrounding the state of the body that was found.

The characters were complicated. I really couldn't decide if I liked them or not. I'm also never really a fan of infidelity under any circumstances unless there's a case of domestic abuse where the victim can't physically leave their abuser. But this wasn't that. The characters as a whole were generally unlikable. Specifically the male characters. I was confused on how to view Sarah throughout this story too.

Which feeds into my next point about the personal touch that this book took on vampirism. This wasn't a classic case of vampirism and I won't spoil it for you if you don't want to know. For those of you that are interested:

this book takes on what they call a "tick." It has vampiric traits but it's more accurate to call it a parasite. The "tick" latches onto its host and essentially takes over the host's body. It consumes the memories of the host, basically becoming the essence of its victim.

This is what had me so conflicted about

Sarah. While it had consumed all of Sarah's memories and took on her traits, it still wasn't "Sarah." But what makes a person who they are? Their thoughts and memories? Lucy found herself struggling with this concept and I thought it was extremely interesting.

I also have to mention the gorgeous cover on this! The edition that I own has splayed edges with blood drips down the side. I'm obsessed!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6703582181
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/3915815f-f072-4b88-86bd-3e9c3da9d8b3/share

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

catacosmick's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Van Veen's sophomore novel is another historical gothic horror which is far more absurd, odd, and macabre than her debut. If you're expecting a more conventional novel like her debut, My Darling Dreadful Thing, you'll be disappointed. At first, I was disappointed but over the course of the book I grew to simultaneously love-and-hate the characters. It does incorporate factors of her previous novel, such as a fantastically-done atmosphere, unreliable narrators, and crumbling manors. 

Then again, the elements of this book were almost guaranteed to be a sure-fire success for me. Lesbian vampires, body horror involving the eyes, and the relationships between sisters? Count me in!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Cannibalism

cardicorgi's review against another edition

5.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I'm going to be spending the rest of my life trying not to think too hard about eyeballs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Mental illness, Suicide, Cannibalism, Medical trauma

Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization

eklektikam's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia

uncreativeoops's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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About as female gothic as you can get.

Also a much better take on lesbian vampires that also managed to include Doppelgänger and possession.

I liked the setting of dreary, rural netherlands. The plot is mostly there to scrutinize the sister relationship which was really interesting. The characters' behaviour didn't always make sense to me though (not in a "this is not what I would have done" way, which is also true but I didn't mind, more in a "this is not what people do when they are put in that situation" way) and some of the conflicts of monologues about issues felt a bit forced and not fitting the situation they happened in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia

reading_under_covers's review against another edition

4.5

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"She's hungry. Oh, I've never know a hunger like hers!"

Johanna van Veen is back with another fantastic gothic horror tale in BLOOD ON HER TONGUE 🙇‍♀️

The story follows twin sisters Lucy and Sarah in the late 1800s after Sarah's run-in with the bog woman and her spiraling health and sanity that follows 👀 the vibes were eerie (there's a bog, a large estate, and sooo much blood!) and the men were trash!

I read a little chunk of this on public transit and could literally feel my face transforming into this 🥴, so if you're squeamish, take caution - but my goodness, what a tale to get lost in!

This is ultimately a book rooted in feminism and there's no time like the present for some girl power!

Highly recommend this one to you gothic fans!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC for review - out March 25.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Blood, Murder

amjz's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Classism

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC!

I was immediately pulled in by the story and enjoyed even more than her debut novel. This is a creepy, Disturbing, and gross more than scary horror novel! There were times that the imagery made me nauseous but despite that I “enjoyed” the horror aspects and unique story.

I also appreciated that the author includes content warnings in the beginning.

I loved the atmospheric, historical setting. The story takes place in Drenthe which is one province over from me which I found really cool!! There was also a mention of my home state, Michigan 😍

Enjoying the mixing of the story as told by Lucy as well as newspaper articles, letters, and diary entries. You really get to know the characters who are flawed and well written! I had a lot of mixed feelings for them throughout the book.

The novel as a whole was well paced throughout and had a great ending. My best read of March so far and makes Van Veen an auto read author for me now!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide

Minor: Sexual violence, Lesbophobia