Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

34 reviews

leahkarge's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Abortion, Addiction, Ableism, Excrement, Sexual content, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Slavery, Suicide, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Death of parent, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

ok7a's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Death and Suicide

Minor: Death of parent, Abortion, Xenophobia, Grief, Blood, Body shaming, and Alcohol

withlivjones's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? No

4.75

What a start to what I’m sure will be  a stellar trilogy! I initially wasn’t sure that this book would be my thing, but my am I glad to be wrong! 

Elodie Harper does a fantastic job of conjuring up ancient Pompeii, from the lavish parties of high society to the desperation of its poorest inhabitants. The setting is so vivid and exciting and draws you right into the plot. 

Amara is a brilliantly-written protagonist, with a certain amount of complexity and morally-greyness to her that makes her point of view so compelling. Her main priority is protecting herself, but she is forced to question how much she is willing to lose in order to gain some power: her morals? her dignity? friends and first loves? 

There are so many other characters who are very well-written as well, from the loveable to the absolutely terrible excuses for a human being (*cough*felix*cough*). The female characters in particular are more diverse than most books I’ve read, and the complex relationships between them show both female solidarity and rivalry in a society where women have no power. 

I loved this book and I cannot wait to read the next instalment in the trilogy! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Sexual content, and Suicide

Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, and Classism

fe_aye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This book is a great insight to the life of slaves in Pompeii and the friendships of women in those times. The characters are wonderful and real and every single one is complex with their own independent things going on and following each of them throughout this story was amazing to see. I loved the relationships and the characters and the way they interacted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Cursing, Vomit, Murder, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Death, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, Classism, Alcohol, Confinement, and Death of parent

etherisapoet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-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

5.0

This book made so unnecessarily emotional
I loved it, it made me feel the pain, relief and insecurity of the characters 
I somehow could get a feel of what being a prostitute at that time was
It was a tale of womanhood and love both platonic and romantic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Slavery, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol

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

anne_shouseofdreams's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion

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

a_alves00's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? No

5.0

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

"Suns when they sink can rise again, 
But we, when our brief light has shone 
Must sleep the long night on and on"


Where do I even start with this book? So many emotions. I just want to jump straight to the second one but unfortunately I don't own it yet. 

Amara brought every single reaction out of me with her decisions. Some of them I didn't agree with and I was shouting to her "Why would you do that???". Then at times she made sense and I could like her more. The thing is, she was simple surviving. Wirh everything she had been through, she just had to do everything she could to get out of the hellhole she was in. 

The Book shows the different was in which the women dealt as being taken into the brothel. Victoria, born into it, accepted it and took it by heart, sure that no one would ever buy her off Felix. While Amara, a doctor's daughter, had hope of one day leaving the brothel. Even at the cost of her friends. 

The ending to me was absolutely heartbreaking. Almost impossible to talk about without spoiling it. And I found myself with tears in my eyes. 

What a beautiful, beautiful book! 

TW: death, death of a parent, sexual content, sexual assault, sexual harassment, rape, abandonment, abortion, pregnancy, body shaming, child abuse, confinement,  emotional abuse, fire, grief, murder, misogyny, physical abuse, sexual violence, slavery, suicidal thoughts, suicide, toxic relationship, trafficking, violence 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence