Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use
Minor: Slavery, Suicide attempt
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
She'd never liked that phrase, diamond in the rough. All that meant was that they had to cut you again and again to let the light in.
That was all there was in this world. No heroes or villains, just the people you'd brave the waves for, and the ones you'd let drown.
I've been trying to figure out a way to start this review and I believe the easiest way is to say, I couldn't wait for the sequel after Ninth House, and now I don't know if I want another sequel.
The second book in this occult New Haven setting felt disappointing, like it was shy, not going all the way with any of its themes, unlike Ninth House, which impressed, shocked and enthralled me by the end. The story moves along quite slowly but at the same time, as though we don't get enough time to breathe with the characters. Things are happening because they have to, we take characters along for the ride and feel their burden through the boredom their plot points create. The writing feels too preachy or distanced at times and a lot of the supernatural doesn't really make sense either with the tone or the logic the characters come up with. The stakes don't really feel high even though they're meant to be higher than ever and so much tension was lost because of the repetition in the plot, making important moments or reveals anti-climactic.
Maybe all that really needs to be said is that there should have been more secret societies, more rituals, more creatures, more demons, more Alex and Darlington, more of the exciting elements, which Leigh Bardugo seems to keep like a delicacy when your will to read is about to leave you.
Graphic: Cursing, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Vomit
Minor: Slavery
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Racism, Suicide, Violence
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use
Minor: Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Classism
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail