Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu

17 reviews

christineplum's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, and Xenophobia

beccabookworm's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, and War

our_bookish_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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? N/A

5.0

This is just the kind of graphic that I love to stumble upon and find out it's actually pretty fucking amazing! 

I love the art and characters, yes, even the bad ones! Very supernaturally and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Murder, Body horror, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Medical content, Animal death, Blood, Death, Slavery, Trafficking, and War

halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.75

I absolutely loved this graphic novel (my 1st time reading a digital format). 

There was so much amazing detail, completely entrancing, I probably skipped over the narrative bubbles lol. 

Our MC is a complete BADASS and has a mysterious darkness to her that wants to basically kill anyone lol. 

Little fox and the kitty were my favorite characters, they're so stinking cute!!! 

The detailed architect just swept me away and I spent extra time just admiring the works of art. 

Even with its gory scenes, I was able to look past it, though it did turn my stomach. 

I'm excited to continue with the next volumes 🥰

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Abandonment, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Murder, Blood, Cannibalism, Gore, War, and Grief

teachingwithmagic's review

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Torture, Murder, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Body horror, Genocide, and Child abuse

litprof's review

challenging dark mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

Shockingly—I would say gratuitously—explicit, with graphic violence and death on nearly every page. Given that so many of the victims are portrayed as cute, I thought there might be an anti-meat messaging, but that didn't emerge.

The writer and illustrator clearly have a complex world in mind, but I found it difficult to follow the plot and relationships, or understand the world. My partner started reading it too, and even discussing the world didn't help clarify.

The lecture excerpts from the professor cat were somewhat helpful, but I still wasn't sure what was going on.

The illustrations are exquisite, but I will not be reading the subsequent volumes in the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse

nutmegandpumpkin's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

definitely mature readers only! graphic violence and gore, some nudity, heavy topics, and horror (definitely check content warnings)
- complex and interesting world building 
- morally grey protagonist 
- very dark and gory
- character design and setting design were really amazing 
- it dragged a bit in some parts

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Torture, Sexual harassment, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Medical content, War, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent

melsmagicalreads's review

adventurous challenging dark funny 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? N/A

4.75

Kicking off 2022 with a graphic novel and I couldn't have chosen a better way to start my year! The world is on the brink of war, with humans and witches of the Cumaea against the Arcanics, half-human half-Ancient hybrids. Monstress follows a 17 year old girl, Maika, who travels deep into enemy territory. While doing this, she is fighting to keep a literal monster at bay who is residing inside her. With the unlikely traveling companions of a sentient cat and a cute little half-fox, she seeks answers to her unknown past while dodging all the different people who want her and her monster dead. 

I was so impressed by the depth of world-building in this graphic novel! It is so complex with multiple sentient species, warring factions, complex systems of power, and of course, monsters. The art is absolutely outstanding, unlike any other graphic novels I've read. It's definitely got a dark and gory steampunk vibe.

The story had the potential to be too dark for me, but the addition of sentient cats and a cute little half-fox sidekick for our monstress added much-needed comic relief. I imagine I will be flying through the next few volumes this week!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Slavery, Trafficking, and Violence

doodeedoda's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Slavery, Torture, War, Child death, and Xenophobia

Minor: Ableism, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

kelpiebooks's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Child death, and Trafficking

Moderate: Blood and Torture

Minor: Sexual assault