Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Lady MacBethad by Isabelle Schuler

4 reviews

md3's review

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

I read and studied Macbeth for my Leaving Certificate. It was the first time I had ever read any Shakespeare and I absolutely loved it. Lady Macbeth was my favourite character so when I heard about this book, a retelling of Lady Macbeth's life from childhood to when she married Macbeth, I knew I had to read it! 

The author created and presented Gruoch's world and the people she loves/encounters so vividly. Each character's humanity shone through and their strengths and flaws were examined and tested throughout the book in various scenarios. The world for women at that time, and Lady Macbeth did indeed exist, is portrayed in elegant prose which jars with the often harsh reality of their lives and complex relationships. For a woman so ambitious as Gruoch, pursuing the ultimate position of power, Queen of Alba, is a dangerous game. 

I also really enjoyed the author's subtle nods to Shakespeare's Macbeth. 

Some readers might find the gore and violence or references to mental illness, self harm, losing children etc. offputting or distressing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, War, Child death, Murder, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual content

Minor: Infertility

flashandoutbreak's review

adventurous dark mysterious 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: Suicide attempt, Murder, Blood, Death, Grief, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

clairew97's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Confinement, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Sexism, Ableism, Child abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Rape, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Self harm, and Vomit

anapthine's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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? No

4.5

Thank you NetGalley and Raven Books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This book was brilliantly and cleverly written. The empathy you formed for Lady Macbethad did affect how you viewed Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” - maybe there was a reason for why she acted the way she did. The plot was addictive, with a perfect medium pace and likeable characters. Additionally, the emotions portrayed felt so genuine and I wish I could’ve read more of the book. This is definitely one of my favourite reads so far this year. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Murder, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Death

Moderate: Self harm