Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

22 reviews

erwikka's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

I’m not crying at 1 am you are! When I heard this was Howls Moving Castle with Polish lore I couldn’t pick it up fast enough. I’m happy to admit that it lives up to the Howl’s comparison. I throughly enjoyed this one. It felt like you were in a fairytale and those are some of my favorites I also love the Polish names. Pretty sure this book and the ending will be sitting in my feels for a while and you gotta love that. Endings tend to let me down a lot but this book is an exception to that. I honestly just adored it from start to finish. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

haven't been this distraught over a book since grade eight I'm in agony I'm in mourning I'm

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

*There is a scene where someone poisons their cow on purpose to expose another character but it's the only on page depiction of animal harm/cruelty *There is a scene that implies a character is in a abusive marriage

lkristin2018's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

Certainly it was a compelling dark, folk-tale like story.  However, the combination of the main character being a minor, and her love interest being a 700 demon whose pet nickname for her was a put-down did not work for me.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content

I did not like how the author portrayed suicide as a noble act. Suicide is a top cause of teenage death, and this romanticizes it.

mzquirk's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

theespressoedition's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicide

chasinggrace's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This is a stunning, cozy book. The Polish folklore was detailed, the sentient house was whimsical, and the characters’ personalities were palpable. While slow-paced, I was never bored. This is 5⭐️ not because it’s action-packed or never-before-seen, but because it’s heartfelt and beautiful. 

the only thing I would change is I’d give this story a happier ending 😭 I was in tears at the end and the epilogue did NOT help. When did cozy fantasy = death and heartbreak?? In my head Eliasz is alive in the House Under the Rowan Tree, idc.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

naluminum's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Death and Religious bigotry

ravnking's review against another edition

way too slow and i found the characters dull

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Religious bigotry

kwthor's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Sweet fantasy with a bitter sweet ending.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

katievallin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

3.5

I liked the vibes: the sentient forest and house, the feeling of home, the found-family, the gradual romance. I liked the characters and the very obvious similarities to Beauty and the Beast.

I didn't like the body horror

and human sacrifice.

Those definitely made it seem more dark and evil than it started off being. I also feel conflicted about the clash between the church and paganism.

Also the climax was very sad, and I did not appreciate that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death and Sexual content