Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

22 reviews

olivebleu's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Violence, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Cursing, Blood, Gore, Animal death, Alcohol, Body horror, Rape, Death, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship

sonlight21's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

When I started this book I was not expecting what it would become. This is not a light hearted wilderness book. The emotional journey taken is wild, tense, and dark. There is a lot to learn but also a lot to be aware of before entering. 

At first I found the writing style hard to get into. It felt broken and chopped. I didn't slip into it until the last 60 pages or so. Some of the plot felt broken and missing such as the main relationship. It felt like it was just sprung into existence no feeling or relationship built. 


Please read the content warnings! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Blood, Animal death, Gun violence, Violence, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Cursing, Pregnancy, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent and Gaslighting

Minor: Hate crime

neni's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Gore, Death, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Cursing, Animal death, Blood, Dementia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

10stormlight's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, and Gore

Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, Infertility, and Cursing

navayiota's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I originally saved this cause it was recommended by Leena Norms for spooky October novels, and spooky it was, although not in the way I had expected. I ended up picking it up cause it was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, and I really enjoyed her previous work narrating Kate Quinn novels. I didn't expect it to stay with me the way it did. I am in shock. Visceral is the perfect way to describe this writing. McConaghy got me to feel every light touch and savage hit taken by the characters. She tied every aspect of the story up in a neat bow that lovingly punched me in the gut at every opportunity. I refuse to believe that a human can write like this, and yet it's so painfully obvious that a human wrote it, because what other species could describe the human experience in such a vivid way? My heart aches for these characters, who are painfully fleshed out with all their jagged edges and ugly sides. I wish more people read this book. I can't wait to read more but must stop myself from binging anything else she has written cause it just wouldn't be enough. May her fingers never tire of typing or holding a pen, may her mind never cease creating and may her soul experience every joy the world has to offer. Simply incredible.

I can't believe that I finally encountered a book where the pregnancy trope is treated with justice and respect. I was in awe at the mastery with which she ended the story, the way she made it all make sense. Every major or subplot is a full circle and that feels incredible to me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicide, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Dementia, Confinement, and Child abuse

Minor: Drug abuse

harrietolivia456's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Wolves. Scotland. Forests. Oh and a bit of death. I came to this book completely blind. Just skimmed the blurb and didn’t really know what to expect but I really really enjoyed this! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Abortion, Cursing, and Infertility

lauramcc7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cursing, Alcohol, Suicide, Pregnancy, Blood, Vomit, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Infidelity, Grief, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Mental illness, and Death of parent

bebidocrimes's review

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Pushed through to finish this after they dropped the unexpected pregnancy, and I can kinda see where it fits in the story but overall felt like an afterthought. The plotline of the wolves scaring the farmers was a fine plot on its own, and even the murder mystery. I just don't think the romance (?) really added anything because I don't think Inti can ever fully trust Duncan after everything that happened in her life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

fluffernutterfriday's review

dark emotional informative mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

I lapped this book up like a wolf drinking from a stream. I'm a sucker for alive writing right now, and this writing is alive. The story moved quickly, and I read the book in functionally two sittings. I had to stop in the middle for our book club meeting, and it drove me nuts that I had to wait. The suspense hooked me in so tightly that I spent an hour and a half before work reading the next day, to the point that I didn't exercise or eat breakfast or shower. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual violence, Stalking, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, and Cursing

brittanymcmcmc's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Violence, Death, Murder, and Mental illness

Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, and Vomit