Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

93 reviews

jennie_serine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

5.0

I absolutely love this book. If you like books that has dragons, magic, mystery, romance, enemies-to-lovers, heroine which is almost always underestimated because of how her body is “weaker” than others but doesn’t give up… this is the book for you. Also if you are a fan of the Divergent series and Hunger Games, this is kind of a mix between the two but with DRAGONS AMD MAGIC. I have read it 4 times in 2 months and I love it. There is also a “spoiler alert” CLIFFHANGER ENDING!!! Who doesn’t like a cliffhanger ending the first book in a series

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Blood, Cursing, Deadnaming, Chronic illness, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Outing, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

anoelle896's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Cursing, Chronic illness, Animal death, Ableism, Violence, Sexual content, and Bullying

Moderate: Death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, War, Violence, Sexual content, Murder, Chronic illness, and Body shaming

Minor: Death and Death of parent

caskraft's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

The narrator did a bit too much 'acting for the back row' for my taste, but the book was great. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Bullying, Death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Murder, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Vomit

micaelamariem's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

 

I'm in too many book clubs to keep up with. Four months ago, one of those book clubs chose Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, so I sent a hold request to the library. I had heard of it but was unprepared for how popular it was. I was 50-something in the hold request line and it took these four months to actually get my hands on it. Needless to say, I didn't read it in time for the club, but I'm still glad I read it! 

The author, Rebecca Yarros, is a busy woman. Not only does she write books, but she's a military wife with six kids. While she has written a lot of books, I think Fourth Wing is her first fantasy novel. 

"A dragon without a rider is a tragedy. A rider without a dragon is dead." 

Fourth Wing is an elite fantasy romance. Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail is forced to join the war college and train to be a dragon rider, rather than join the scribe quadrant like she wanted. Violet is unsure she'll survive the tests and training--many die and she's weaker than most, with brittle bones and a small stature. To make matters worse, Xaden Riorson is there, the son of a traitor--he would want to kill her just for being a Sorrengail, the daughter of the general. When things can't seem to get more complicated, Violet starts to suspect that leadership isn't being completely honest about what's going on outside the college walls. 

If that summary doesn't sell you, let me tell you how much I loved this book. I loved it so much that I'm not sure I can express it properly in words, actually. It has been months, almost a full year, since I felt so connected to a book like this. Maybe because it has some of my favorite things: magic schools, enemies to lovers, training sequences, political intrigue, dark secrets. 

The characters were wonderful and well-rounded. Violet shows a good source of disability representation within a fantasy novel. Because her mom had a sickness when she was pregnant, Violet is very weak and her bones break easily and she's always in pain. While this is a fantastical chronic illness, I think a lot of people may be able to relate--for example, I have chronic migraines, chronic knee and back pain, and stomach issues and yet this book made me feel like I can still be badass. I also loved how there were things about her illness that she could not overcome but had to adapt instead, showing the reader that this difference was not weakness. 

Xaden was the brooding dark figure we all love in a good fantasy novel. He had his secret and deep down a sweet, protective side. But his protectiveness was a foil from Dain's--their characters showed how protectiveness can be sweet if you still trust someone to make their own choices and support them or it can be overbearing and belittling if you box them into a corner. 

The side characters were also amazing. My favorite, of course, was Liam. He showed what it means to be a quiet friend, what it means to be humble, how to show your emotions through facial expressions. And Rhiannon was also great--the girl best friend every girl should have who loudly supports her friend and is determined to train and help.  

Talking about the characters would be so incomplete without mentioning the dragons! I loved these dragons. Tairn, the fierce but noble one. Andarna, the sweet and stubborn and sometimes naïve. Sgaeyl, ready to strike down any enemy. These dragons had their own personalities and their own laws and they provided more insight onto our mere human characters. 

The worldbuilding and plotline were so intricately intwined. I don't want to give any spoilers, but one thing I thought was clever was to have a main character who was so interested in books and history that we as readers get tidbits of the world's history from her. But in all fantasy novels, what never fails to amaze me is the research and grit put into designing magic school's classes, magic systems, maps, borders, fables, history, governments, books, fantastical creatures, and more. And being able to keep track of it and incorporate it into the plotline so they become key plot points. If only I can be such a good world creator and writer someday! 

And the writing style was also great. I truly felt like it was Violet's voice, like I was in her head as she took in everything, from gigantic dragons flying overhead to the deathly obstacle course she had to complete and more. It made reading the five hundred pages fly by and made me wish for more. 

The only drawback is there was some predictability. Maybe it's just because I read a lot so I can instantly recognize key tropes and foreshadowing. I still loved the book despite being able to predict some of the key plot points. I still highly recommend the book. 

In fact, I give this book five stars, which is rare for me this year. I need to get my hands on the copy AND preorder the sequel, Iron Flame. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, War, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Drug use

karyan1's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Sexual content, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Medical content, and Murder

lqne's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Violence, War, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Ableism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

Minor: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Blood

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious slow-paced

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

5.0

I couldn't have seen anything in this book coming. The twist and turns were surprising and the story was rich with intrigue. I can't wait for Yarros to finish off this story in the next few books! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Medical content, Gore, Murder, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexism, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

chl0b1's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Murder, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Death, and Sexual content

culzean's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Bullying, Death, Animal death, Gore, Grief, Violence, War, Abandonment, Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Toxic friendship

tiana_king's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Dear Jesus this was amazing. I haven’t been this hype about a new series since crescent city. Aside from the overuse of “chuffing” the writing was great. I loved watching MC struggle to get good instead of instantly being over powerful. I cheered and laughed and cried and hung onto the edge of my seat for dear life. I already look forward to a reread.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Body shaming, War, Violence, Ableism, Sexual content, Blood, and Medical content

Moderate: Gore, Murder, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent