Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Blood Debts

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker

29 reviews

acwhite's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

I struggled getting into the first 25-30% of this book, but once it took off it was tough to put down. A fascinating tapestry of plots that came together in a beautiful tapestry.

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csevet's review against another edition

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dark slow-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

2.5

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caseythereader's review

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thanks to Tor Teen for the free advance copy of this book.

- The world of BLOOD DEBTS is fantastic. A New Orleans with several branches of magical families, warring for power on multiple levels. The imagined world here is so rich it feels like it could be real.
- I loved Clement and Cristina, both prickly and headstrong in their own ways, and deeply loving of their big, loud, fractured family (the aunts! I loved them all!) Also, it has multiple queer characters, which I haven't seen mentioned much in the marketing.
- However, for me, this book was a lot of telling rather than showing. It was mainly the kids running from adult to adult and prying pieces of secrets out of them, then rehashing everything they know in the next scene, repeat. I think this might have worked better as an adult fantasy instead of YA/New Adult, with POVs from the many adults and their grudges rather than the teens, who are the only ones out of the loop.

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marleywrites's review

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adventurous dark emotional fast-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

It was foolish to think he could outrun a god.

Thank you to NetGalley and TorTeen for this e-arc!

O.M.G. This book!!

This story was incredible. I loved every second. The magic was so cool to learn about, and I loved the characters. The whole family was amazing, even Justin 😂.

The fast pace really worked well for this story. I didn’t want to stop reading!

Benton-Walker’s writing style was so great- the action scenes were good and punchy and the descriptions were fantastic. The way the tension built up over this story was incredible as well. The ending was worth the build up for sure!

I will definitely be reading more that this author writes. I loved the Black excellence in this book, and the anger and what the characters did with it was possibly one of my favorite parts.

The only reason I withheld a half star is because Clem’s stubbornness absolutely killed me! It was frustrating at times but that’s Clem I guess 😂 But:

I looooved the set up for a possible book 2!

;)

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aperl1's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No

2.5

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bookwormsandbiblios's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Let’s just get this out of the way: some of you will be appalled that this book is classified as Young Adult. There is bloody violence, abundant colorful language, sex, and (some off-page) drug use. I can see you clutching your pearls from here, aghast that Macmillan has set the age range from 13-18. Unclench. No one is saying your thirteen-year-old has to read it. If you feel this book is inappropriate for your young reader, save it for a later date. And I do mean save it because Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker is not a story to be missed. This novel is chalked full of representation and reckoning with the sordid history of racism in the United States, specifically NOLA. There are plenty of fantastical elements, but the story is grounded in the veritable experiences of the not-so-distant history of the South and the mark they have left on the present.

Christina (Chris) and Clement (Clem) are fraternal twins whose relationship has become strained after the death of their father and their mother’s severe and mysterious illness. But that is hardly the only trouble to befoul their family. This magical world of New Orleans in which they live is home to Generational or Gen magic and the seat of the magic counsel. A counsel of which their grandmother was the queen until she was dethroned and her family disgraced. But the reader quickly learns all is not what it seems. While misfortune has caused Chris to retreat from magic, Clem rejoices in it, becoming yet another source of conflict for the siblings. However, with trouble brewing all around them, they’ll need to find a way to unite.

This book is a love letter to Black folks. It is unflinching in its examination of oppressive systems while being a celebration of the grit and vibrant tenacity of the Black community. It validates all the feelings of culture, family, and frustration. It explores intergenerational trauma and the effect of present-day racism. The peruser gets to observe thoughtful characterization of intersecting identities. It lives up to the Author’s Note, in which the reader will have to sit and ponder the many nuanced issues introduced in this novel. And it does so in such a way that younger readers will be able to take part in these conversations about morality and liberation.

I am always super impressed when an author weaves multiple complex storylines into a cohesive and satisfying end product. Sure there are a couple of loose threads, but that has more to do with leaving the door open for a sequel. Clem and Chris feel like real teenagers, even with magic involved. The magical system that Benton-Walker created is rooted in Black spirituality and religious practices. The pantheon of gods is both helpful and meddlesome, and it will be interesting to see where Benton takes them in the next book.

Having the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, I really enjoyed the narration. Because there were so many characters (some with similar names), I had to go back several times to figure out who was who. Although not necessary to the story, I would have loved a glossary of the gods and magical terms. The language used throughout the book prioritizes authenticity and accessibility, so there is no flowery prose to be found here. And while I had no pages to turn, it certainly left me staying up later than I had intended wanting to know what happened next.

Blood Debts is the perfect read for those looking for BIPOC and queer representation who love magical realism and urban fantasy.

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amobrien's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Blood Debts is a story about magic, family, and trauma with a magic system that had me immediately hooked. This is a dark YA fantasy with a lot of violence, but I loved the inclusiveness in the characters and the conversations around sexuality, including consent and sex work. There were a lot of characters in this story, which made things difficult to follow at times, but I wasn't put off by it. This was a great read overall, and I think anyone interested in dark YA fantasy would really enjoy it!

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dakotabagley's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

First and foremost, the story told in this book is magic. I know the book is about magic but it is also magic. I truly enjoyed reading it. The modern-NOLA setting was really perfect for a story like this where Black folx and justice are the central focus. I was really invested in the relationships between all of the characters and would have loved if this book was longer honestly. A deeper dive into the family dynamics would have been nice. 

Unfortunately, I found the prose to be a bit juvenile and some of the finer details got lost in the plot. Because the prose was juvenile, the book was very predictable. A bit more complexity in the prose and focus on finer details would’ve really elevated this book for me. For example, the purpose and function of the Gen Council was really just lost somewhere in the plot. Clem and Cris were really your standard YA-protagonists with naïve thoughts, feelings and actions but that was to be expected. This is a YA book after all. 

I do think that the book was written in a way that sets up for a sequel. Particular loose ends include Zac, Valentina, Gabriela, Jean-Louise, and Jacquelyn. Hopefully the sequel brings more clarity to some of the plot holes. 

Not a bad read at all, 3 stars from me!

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amandadevoursbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.25

I recieved an E-ARC thanks to Net Galley and Tor Teen.

It's New Orleans. This New Orleans is filled with backbiting politics between members of the generational council and between the Generational council and the White Mages. There's bad blood going back to before the Civil War and chattel slavery.

The book wrestles with generational trauma, homophobia, racism, and cultural appropriation. It also poses questions around the nature of revenge and justice.

30 years ago, Kris and Clem's grandmother and grandfather were murdered because a white mob thought they murdered the mayor's daughter. Now, a year after their dad's mysterious death, their mom is so ill she might die. Kris and Clem have to untangle the three mysteries, reunite their families, and come to terms with their collective grief all with a dash of revenge.

I loved the characters, I loved the messiness of the adults, and I adored the representation of generational magic by a Black author. The mysteries were fun, and the book moved quickly.

At times, characters were introduced and not really brought a long or written out. This left me wanting for more time with them and a better understanding of the role they play.

The end felt a little fast, and I wanted to see more from the whole group in collecting the blood debt. It's almost like three were too many characters to bring along.

For a YA novel, there's sex on page and frank discussion of sex and sexual assault. This was done intentionally and thoughtful by the author to make the book sex positive.

It is well set for a sequel, and I'll be thrilled to see it when it does.

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