Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Le temps des sorcières by Alix E. Harrow

70 reviews

beulah_devaney's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.5

It took me a long time (at least a couple of months) to get into this book. I'd pick it up, read a few pages, and then put it down again, convinced that something horrible was about to happen to the three sisters. By the time I realised that they weren't going to be put through the parade of torture and mistery most books about the witch trials deal with, I was almost halfway through and couldn't put it down.

All of this isn't to suggest that The Once and Future Witches sanitizes the treatment of women. There's a palpable sense of menace hanging over the heads of the three Eastwood Sisters. They represent the Crone, the Mother and the Maiden, with all the danger and trauma those archetypes encounter. But in this alternative timeline (when witchcraft was real) there's also a sense of joy and wonder as women discover their forgotten spells and power.

While this isn't a comfortable or easy read, it's easy to get lost in the world of New and Old Salem.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Pregnancy

afion's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

rwmccormic's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Sexism

accovino's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

I enjoyed a lot of the ideas in this, but there were just too many places it bugged. I'm sick of reading about Salem, I'm bored by "what if [Historical Figure] but GENDER SWAPPED" and "what if [Historical Figure] but SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NAME" and

the expendable character being the one who didn't fall in love

and the badass Black *supporting* character… Also it took me way too long to get into it, and WAY too long to remember who was who. I like that the tower is

a library

. I like that there is a trans character, minor though she is. I like that there is at least a mention of White women's history of one-sided "solidarity" and magic hidden in the open simply because women's work is never taken seriously. I just... I feel like someone needed to come in hard with the red pen and whip this into shape. I feel like "set in our world so I don't have to explain everything, but also everything is different" is a cop-out and a really irritating one for some reason? But mostly I just.. I really wanted to like this more than I did.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Grief, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Medical content, and Medical trauma

annir's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Domestic abuse and Transphobia

booksandprosecco's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Kidnapping and Abortion

Minor: Transphobia

katie_maybee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Let me start with this, I haven’t loved a book the way I love this book in a long time. The Once and Future Witches does a beautiful job of intertwining the history of the Women’s suffrage movement and the lasting impact of the Salem witch trials with world building that makes New Salem a stand alone place. 

Alix E. Harrow draws readers in with nursery rhymes and history, and reminds people that there is power in the words, and the ways, as long as they have the will to try. 

James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna are women who fight with all they have, even when all they have left is each other. They are sisters who were bound together, and work through their trials to find a sense of belonging, which makes the ending even more bittersweet. 

Between the villain reveal, and the softness of the relationships, this book develops as a page turner that’s nearly impossible to put down. Like there is magic in nursery rhymes, I’m positive there is magic tucked somewhere among these pages. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abortion and Death of parent

shoutykid's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Racism, Slavery, and Transphobia

celery's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The strength of women and the power they have. Read anything by Alix E. Harrow, you'll love it, I guarantee it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and Blood

The minor trigger warnings on this book are extremely minor mentions, but the major warnings are topics that are extremely prevalent in the book.

jesm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

All you need are the words, the ways, and the will. 

I 100% devoured "Once and Future Witches" by Alix E Harrow. It was intoxicating and one of my most enjoyable books this year. 

Sister witches, woven into fairytales, with queer rep, and lots of twists. I could not have asked for a better snowy winter read. 

Harrow tackles a swath of societal, familial, and generational oppressors in an empowering and mystical way. 

I find myself making sure my pockets are filled. 

TW: emotional & physical abuse, anti LGBTQIA sentiments, racism, abortion. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry