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ofpagesandparagraphs's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Medical trauma, Death, Grief, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
kirstenf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
frantically's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This felt like a Buzzfeed Unsolved finale, the way it had me changing my suspects every chapter (I did have it right in the end).
Was the plot predictable? Was the time period just a bit too fake? The men just a bit too perfect? Yes. But it was so, so much fun and just a joy to read š¤
Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, Grief, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Murder and Vomit
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Sexual content
jamiebrito's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death of parent, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Animal death and Fire/Fire injury
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I am not really a fan of horror and the part of the book where Lilyās spirit looks like Scarlet Witch when she comes out of the gong in Dr. Strangeās Multiverse of Madness movie, limbs cracking/moving in odd angles and her mouth gaping open with blood and sores, was a little bit too horrific/graphic for me. It was so strange because that scene was creepy/scary but then the rest of the book did not keep with that tone. That scene just tonally felt so off for me and just came out of nowhere. Then the story goes back to a campy, Clue-like mystery with the dark-brooding Death love interest. It just felt very odd/out of place for me.
Also, I feel like Death and Signaās love/relationship did not feel very fleshed out for me. It was giving very Edward and Bella. Death tells Signa āIāve waited forever for you.ā Heās literally a deity and Signa is a 19 year old girl. The whole thing just felt very strange and rushed. Like okay your cousins are dropping like flies but you need to make out with Death in a garden, okie doke.
Also Death meets Signa when she was a literal baby when everyone at this party dies, including her parents, but Signa does not. Itās giving Jacob and Renesme? Like Death knew he was going to wait until Signa was āof ageā for him to have her even though heās been watching over her since she was a literal baby. Through out the book, Death kind of deceives Signa and lies to her. Okay she can see dead people like he can but other then that, why should they be together?
I know this was Adalyn Graceās first kind of time dipping her toe into more adult content, which I think is awesome, good for her. However, this book was just an odd mix of adult themes/scenes with the characters still being very YA in their development and lack of personality.
Graphic: Sexual content, Body horror, Medical trauma, Grief, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexism, Medical content, Abandonment, Bullying, Murder, Addiction, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
foiblesandfiction's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
so let's just say i was really excited for this book - a ya gothic mystery with romance and a death daddy love interest.
but where i was expecting crimson peak, instead i got eddie murphy's the haunted mansion. which isn't the biggest disappointment because god knows that movie is entertaining as hell, but it's still a disappointment.
- too much telling, not enough showing
- too little character interaction, and what there was had little substance
- inconceivable plot twists that felt contrived.
as this is the first in a series, i would be interested to read the next book in hopes that my complaints would be resolved with character development and world building.
ETA
realized i did truly enjoy the observations and commentary about the expectations of women in society, particularly of their purity and demureness. though she was faced with solving a murderer, signa's main dilemma was actually choosing whether or not to meet societal expectations. could she have what she wanted - belonging and community - without being mired and hidden amongst female social norms? is that even true belonging?
now THIS is some good stuff, and i especially love this in a ya novel. thumbs up.
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Vomit, Sexual content, Self harm, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abandonment and Confinement
bookishflower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
- Atmospheric gothic fantasy
- mystery solving
- murder
- ghosts
Thank you Hodder and Stoughton, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
Signa Farrow has been surrounded by Death her whole life. With her string of guardians all meeting untimely ends, Signa is determined to not let Death ruin her fresh start with her cousins at the mysterious Thorn Grove. But when her aunt's ghost tells her she was murdered and her daughter is next, it's up to Signa, Sylas the infuriating stable boy, and her sworn enemy Death himself to help stop the murderer before it's too late.
'Belladonna' was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 and it did not disappoint! This is the perfect mix of fantasy, romance, mystery and the gothic! If you looking for a book that feels like a Hozier song, look no further. (It also needs to be said that this is one of the most beautiful book covers I've ever seen!).
I adored the writing style and how Signa as a character develops and comes into her own with her powers and sense of self. Death was mysterious, alluring and the sarcastic love interest of your dreams. I have never been more excited for my theories to be right than I was when I got to that bit! Signa and Death balance each other out perfectly- the banter, reluctant allies, consent, and encouragement?!!! I can't wait for 'Foxglove' and that cliffhanger was evil- I loved it!
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Classism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
One of the most refreshing YA Gothic Fantasy Romances that Iāve read in forever, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace centres around Signa, an orphan set to inherit a vast fortune upon reaching adulthood and thus, is subjected to being shuffled around several greedy relatives. Unfortunately for those relatives, Signaās ācursedāāunable to die yet followed by death in both literal and metaphorical sense. One by one, those relatives meet their untimely end and with each demise, Death appears, either to collect waiting souls or summoned by Signaās new suicide attempt. This, of course, causes Signa to hate Death as she believes him to be the source of her ācurseā which would lead to her being unable to marry (ngl, I laughed at this because I didnāt think Signa would be that type of shallow until I remembered what period this book is set in).
As Signa nears her 18th birthday, she is sent to live with her last remaining relatives: the Hawthorne Family at Thorn Grove who have their own curse as well. Their home is haunted by the ghost of Lillian, the wife of the Hawthorne patriarch, and Blythe is dying of the same illness that took her mother. Things come to a head when Lillian confronts Signa, claiming she was poisoned, and thatās when the race against time begins. To help Lillian find peace by finding the culprit while trying to prevent Blytheās death, Signa will need to work together with Death.
The mystery aspect of Belladonna is hands down my utmost favourite thing in this book. There is just the perfect amount of tension, twists and turns, and a quick enough pace to keep me hooked. I had my suspicions but ultimately, didnāt see the final revelation coming. I loved how things turned out and was pleasantly surprised by the way Signa handled the aftermath too.
Nevertheless, Iām gonna be honest and admit that Signa is not my favourite type of heroine. As aforementioned, sheās shallow, though I understand thatās most likely resultant of the time period and her upbringing. Signa is also very impulsive and while I get that without her impulsiveness we wouldnāt have a book as quick-paced as it is, I also canāt help but wish that she would just stop and use her common sense once in a while.
Death, on the other hand, is a very sweet and understanding love interest. Heās the much better version of Greek God Hades and I really liked the tenderness he has for Signa and the souls, and the banter he shares with Signa. However, the romance between Death and Signa went from 0 to 100 very quickly. Thinking about it from Deathās perspective, it makes sense because heās been waiting for a being like her for a long time already. But, in Signaās, it just makes her look like a very thirsty girl, especially considering how much she hated Death in the beginning.
Also, (ngl here too) if we view Death on the same plane of morality as us humans, he has major, undeniable creep vibes (he watched Signa grow up yaāll). So yeah, I wouldnāt recommend reading Belladonna the way youād read a romance between humans while expecting a healthy relationship, because Death here is definitely not human.
Anyway, if youāre looking for an unconventional YA romance that also delivers what it says it will deliver (in this case, romance, murder and mystery), then Belladonna is a must-read.
Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Death and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Grief and Child abuse
queergoth_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I picked this up, not really having read much of the blurb, I thought it looked really cool. When I started to read it I found I couldn't put it down.
It follows Signa, a young woman who has been surrounded by death her whole life, and is very angry at him for that. When her latest guardian dies, she heads to Thorn Grove to stay with some distant cousins. Sadly Thorn Grove is grieving and her cousin is gravely ill. Not wanting to see another family member die Signa sets out to use her powers to save her cousin.
This book is essentially a gothic supernatural mystery with a nice little romance subplot. It was a pretty easy read and it kept me guessing the whole way through. It fits right in with the kind of book I love so I became very taken with it right away.
There were a few points where I was a big confused as to what was happening. I don't know if it was me reading too fast or what. Some pages with big reveals took me a couple reads to really understand what just happened.
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, and Death
Moderate: Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content and Misogyny