Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

26 reviews

elaan's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective 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

This book was incredible. I was absolutely hooked. I could not put it down. My only criticism is that the ending revelations/events happened so quickly (perhaps this was intentional) and were convenient and a little fantastical. But even so, I really really enjoyed this story. So well done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Animal death, and Rape

Minor: Suicide, Abandonment, and Death of parent

fkshg8465's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.0

I expected more, and I find myself thinking about this book even after finishing it, in the wrongest ways...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Murder

corncake's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Grief, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse, Abandonment, Medical content, Confinement, and Gun violence

withloveandlights's review

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Sexual assault

atalea's review

dark hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Sexual violence, and Animal death

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

Minor: Dementia, Suicide, Drug use, Infertility, Grief, and Alcohol

mdwsn27's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Murder, Animal death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Gore, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Rape, Stalking, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Abandonment

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Abortion, and Confinement

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

kponturo's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Murder, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gore, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Suicide

bootsmom3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Torture, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, and Blood

Minor: Abortion

linnea_h's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Murder and Animal death

Minor: Abandonment