Scan barcode
maggies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Dementia, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Death, Rape, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child death, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Blood, and Child abuse
justbrett's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Dementia, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Child abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking
booksandcats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Suicide, Child death, Dementia, Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Murder and Trafficking
isabellaoliveira's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Confinement, Torture, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Child abuse, Dementia, Abortion, Murder, Homophobia, and Child death
Minor: Self harm, Rape, and Pedophilia
kitpotter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Incest, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Dementia
wifeslife'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
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Self harm, Cancer, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Death, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Suicide, Sexual assault, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail
froukjereads's review against another edition
3.5
I read it to see where she would take Cormoran and Robin, and I’ll give her some stars for that. It was much better than the ink-black heart, and I love Strike and Robin as much as I hate the author.
I feel like JKR needs to stop putting her real life grievances into her books (last time it was cancel culture, now she has
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Dementia, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Child abuse, Violence, Child death, Miscarriage, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
I cannot believe the number of content warnings I have had to add to this book.lukerik'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? No
4.0
Anyway, at one point a character gets a bit flustered and says:
‘Like, he got what it’s like, to be… what it feels like, not to be… like, to be different, you know?’
Beautifully observed. And when characters say ‘only’ with a silent l she writes it o’ny. If she’d gone for ony or on’y my eye would have seen it as a short o. We’re lucky to get this level of detail in a writer’s work. This book has been published by Hachette. There are a few typos but it’s pretty easy to work out which word is missing or substituted.
It’s not really a spoiler to say that in this one Robin goes undercover in a cult. It happens pretty early on, though this being a 1000 page book that’s a relative term. I found these chapters really tense. It was a relief when it would cut back to Strike. We’re not talking Sarah Waters levels of tense, but I’ve not seen Rowling maintain that level of danger-tension for so long before. Sexual tension, yes.
So the main theme of the novel appears to be social withdrawal. I can’t mention some of the big examples because it’d spoil the plot, but one big one would be the cult members withdrawing physically from their friends and family. Robin is in a sense withdrawing from Murphy by going undercover. Other withdrawals are via death, which is a very rude way of doing it if you ask me. Not all withdrawals are voluntary. Strike’s uncle for example cannot help his withdrawal as his mind collapses.
This brings us to the second bit theme, personal agency. To what extent are the cult members responsible for their withdrawal and actions generally when they’ve been brainwashed? It’s a very humane novel.
It’s also well balanced. In withdrawing into the cult, the members are also joining a new society, and in leaving the cult are re-entering the new one. The prime example of this social insertion, this leap of faith comes in the epilogue. Be careful what reviews you read before getting to it.
Graphic: Blood, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Confinement, Slavery, Suicide, Child abuse, Child death, Bullying, Death, and Sexual assault
marlisenicole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Cursing, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Torture, Dementia, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
emilyhof613'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Trafficking, Drug abuse, Confinement, Death, and Emotional abuse