Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan

5 reviews

korikam's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death and Alcohol

kreglow's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Drug use, Grief, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Emotional abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Torture, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Rape, and Terminal illness

jessyhayward's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan is an intriguing and mysterious gothic ghost story centred around two older sisters, Francine and Madeleine, who discover some disturbing family secrets after being estranged for years. Now, they must repair their bond and investigate their past together before a strange presence overtakes their lives. 

I loved this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat without relying on shock horror  and made it very easy to empathise with the main characters (and some not-so-main characters). The past was eventually revealed, of course, and I thought it was a perfect (though fucked-up) explanation. I also liked the focus on sisterly relationships as it’s not written about much, and not only that, it was a realistic one. We all know sibling relationships are complex, and Francine and Madeleine represented this perfectly. 

The atmosphere is written brilliantly. It really is a gothic, yet modern, setting. I adored the emphasis on the language of flowers, as well as the vivid descriptions of them. As disturbing as some of this novel was, I really did want to visit the home. 

The only thing that I disliked was the characters. Hear me out…I empathised with them constantly, but oh man were they annoying. Francine grew on me slowly, but I hated the way she judged and slut-shamed other characters. Madeleine was also frustrating. That being said, they had their reasons and no one is perfect. Don’t let this stop you reading it, please. 

Overall, I loved it and would definitely recommend it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Child death, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, and Mental illness

maison's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Alcohol and Domestic abuse

fairiedancr's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? N/A

4.75

Completely engrossing, this novel had me hooked from the start. Following this family and the secrets that unfold will break you and with a haunting sweetness. I could not put this book down. Every moment of this book was powered by love and the language of flowers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcohol and Mental illness