Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

30 reviews

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Gaslighting, Vomit, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexism, Rape, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Murder

motherofbears's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? No

4.75

Devastatingly beautiful and sad. You can tell a lot of care went into the research for this book, you get a view into what life was like for slaves in Pompeii (often terrible). I couldn’t put it down and read most of it over a couple days.

I took away a tiny bit because the ending felt a little tied up with a bow, but knowing this is book one of a trilogy makes me hopeful for more development in the future.

This is historical fiction at it’s most literary. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Classism, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexism

Moderate: Blood, Miscarriage, Child death, Abortion, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Death of parent

kcbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

Heartbreakingly open depiction of times in ancient Pompeii. A story of pain, greed, loss and yet somehow a slither of hope remains.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Child abuse, Slavery, Sexual violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Grief, Abortion, Domestic abuse, and Child death

jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I never connected with this text.  Following prostitution in Pompeii there is a lot of graphic content.  While I have respect for the MC holding her ground throughout and fighting for better for herself.  There’s not much else I had to say.  I personally didn’t enjoy it. It just wasn’t badly written so I didn’t dnf

Due to the time setting also a lot of different types of slavery. 

Think more just not for me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Abortion, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Suicide, Confinement, Grief, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexism, Violence, Vomit, and Child death

daisymayl's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Abortion, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Violence, Child death, Sexual content, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Pregnancy

ribsgd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? No

3.75

Really empathised with the MC, Amara, but the story is very slow. Lots of world and character building but not a lot of story until the very end, although this is the first in a trilogy.

Definitely worth a read, albeit not a necessarily happy one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Abortion, Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Pedophilia, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Child death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Classism, Suicide, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

sinceraly's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

a bit of a slow start, but the prose of this book is something so different from any other modern greek/roman setting I've read, and when this book finally gathered it's bearings about a 3rd of the way in it had me hooked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Murder

em_n_ay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.5

This book was so much better than I was expecting! Tense, emotional, and surprisingly endearing. The main character was wonderful to get to know, and the main cast felt so alive. One of my favorite books this year and I can’t wait to read the next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death

Moderate: Rape, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, and Fatphobia

your_true_shelf's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, and Slavery

Moderate: Suicide and Abortion

amandasbookreview's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

 

Thank you, Elodie Harper, NetGalley, and Union Square & Co. for the opportunity to read this book!

“Either we choose to stay alive, or we give up. And if it’s living we choose, then we do whatever it takes.”

THE WOLF DEN

I spent the past three days reading The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper. I have wanted to read it sooner but work has kept me from diving in. I am so glad I finally found time to read this book. It took me back to Pompeii in 74 CE. Amara was once a physician’s daughter. But after his death, the debts were high and she was sold as a slave and now is forced to work as a prostitute at one of Pompeii’s most infamous brothels. Survival is their focus and Amara is determined to one day be free. She will use her wit and allure to free herself and support the women around her.

But first. Trigger Warnings: slavery, abuse, sexual assault, rape, child loss, miscarriage, suicide

This is NOT an easy book to read and it is not meant for everyone. Years ago, I went to the natural history museum that had a Pompeii exhibit on display. They displayed the casts of the victims who were killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. They also showed some fresco paintings from the Lupanar. So it was fascinating to read about this history that took place almost 2,000 years ago. The author does a fantastic job at bringing these fictional characters to life and making them feel real. The characters all come from different backgrounds and have been forced into horrors that many cannot even imagine. They all have different reactions to these horrors. Some give up, some fight, some push their emotions away… but all their feelings are valid, no matter how different. It shows that there are many ways to react to trauma.

I cannot wait to see what is in store for Amara in the next book. Her world is changing and will no doubt find a way to fight her way to a freedwoman with independence. She has already met some historical figures such as Pliny the Elder. Another interesting thing is that the fatal eruption is only 5 years away. So there is still so much historical content to be explored. In a time where women are considered to be chattel, it is inspiring to watch them come up with their own ways to survive and support each other. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Kidnapping, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Grief