Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore

14 reviews

morgancleaver's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Child death, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Slavery and Miscarriage

quiet_reader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Murder, Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Sexism, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Child death

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Slavery, Trafficking, Torture, and War

james1star's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.5

DNF’d at 50% (my first DNF) - so maybe my ‘review’ isn’t that worthy but I still had some thoughts. I’d probably give it a 2.5 ⭐️ maybe but I don’t fully know so I’ll go with a 3 to stay more neutral. 

I was just really not jamming well with the writing, characters or plot of this book. It was alrightish and slightly intriguing but I just didn’t like it. We follow Rebecca in the town of Manningtree in Essex during the civil war, things happen and the residents begin a witch-hunt-esque fearmongering campaign against certain women. There was more but Yhh not for me. The narrative changes from first to third but it’s not always clear until a few pages in - I dunno just quite confusing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Grief, Sexual content, Death, War, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Violence

anastasiamakes's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense slow-paced

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

2.0

If you liked The Crucible, I think you'll like this. It follows a fictionalised account of real occurances and characters during the 'Witch Craze' of the English Civil War, and has a very "classic" style of writing - which didn't work for me but I'm sure some people would love. You can definitely tell the author is a poet.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, Child death, Classism, and Terminal illness

Minor: Pregnancy, Suicide, War, Miscarriage, Slavery, Sexual content, and Animal death

ashlyntalksbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad 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: Misogyny, Blood, Animal cruelty, Murder, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Animal death

Moderate: Fatphobia, Death, and Child death

amelreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Murder, Misogyny, Classism, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Trafficking, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Racism, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: War and Child death

Minor: Miscarriage

rosalind's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Religious bigotry, and Death

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual content, Child death, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Cursing

Minor: Torture, War, Slavery, Excrement, and Suicide

sabrinames's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, and Death

epellicci's review

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

4.5

Blakemore has created a fantastically immersive story with The Manningtree Witches. The book is slow-paced and I felt it took a while for the story to get going, however Blakemore catches every little detail, and when the book does pick up the pace, I was grateful to the extent the writing had gone to at earlier stages to bring Manningtree and its characters to life. Full of personality, twists, and heartbreak, this book has brought to life in vibrant colour the history of a 1600's Essex and the feverous spirit of the witch trials and the misogyny, fear, and powerful men that fulled them. I was surprised at the moments of tender hope, and warmed by the strength and voice that embodies Blakemore's female characters.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Child abuse

Moderate: Violence, Child death, Gaslighting, and Murder

Minor: Slavery and Miscarriage

rynicolereads's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.25

The Manningtree Witches is dark, atmospheric, and beautifully written. Blakemore’s prose transports you to the 1640s English witch trials as if you’re really there. Although it was slow to start, the quality of the writing hooked me and by the end I loved it, though I did initially wish for there to be a bit more magic. However, upon learning that this was based on truth, I had even greater appreciation of the story. I love a fictional retelling of historical events!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Child death