Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Dief van de nacht by Holly Black

46 reviews

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

Really interesting premise for a story. Fantasy with a badass, curvy, female protagonist who is a little rough around the edges but sharp as a tack. I’m excited for the second one…in 2024. Really starting to get into fantasy stuff more and more. Will also be checking out this author’s other books. 

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kayladaila's review against another edition

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

3.5


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black_cat_iiix's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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micheala's review against another edition

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3.25

So once again, this book has an unlikable main character which is not really my preference. The plot concept was interesting, however it took about 50% before it started to feel like things were actually happening. 

This is set in an alternative, magical USA in modern time. I would say that this is urban fantasy (but not Urban Fantasy - the romance is definitely a small side plot point rather than being about 50% of the plot). I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, I felt like things were overly discribed (not always but on a reoccurring basis).

This is the author's first adult novel. I've previously read the Spiderwick Chronicles (many years ago) and DNF'd The Coldest Girl in Cold Town, so I'm not sure if the writing style is the same as their YA novels. 

Everything indicates that this is a standalone, however if it remains so, it has a very unsatisfactory ending. I'm not sure if I liked this book enough to want to read a sequel, so I probably won't be keeping an eye out to see if it does continue. 

Overall, this book was fine, but very middle of the road for me. 

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zzaakkiiyyaa's review against another edition

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

2.5

Too many one dimensional characters. Disappointing writing in parts. Strange pacing. Zero character development. Great concept that could’ve been done really well but sadly wasn’t. 

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eve_reads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.0

⁕ Black's main character Charlie is rough around the edges to the extreme (think Alex from Ninth House or even Katniss from The Hunger Games). It wouldn't be a problem, except this character trait becomes her entire personality and she comes across as the stereotypical "tough girl" (very flat indeed). I could not connect to her emotionally at all!

⁕ Despite the high stakes of the conflict that Charlie is caught in, the development of the main action was incredibly slow. I was bored and had to force myself to slog through most of the book until the last 50 pages or so when things started to pick up.

⁕ The world-building is lacking, specifically the magic systems.

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katvou's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25


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shadesofkate26's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

4.25


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karapillar's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was very intrigued to pick up this novel, because it is Holly Black's first venture into adult fantasy. I was moderately invested in "The Cruel Prince" trilogy, and I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel being centered around shadows. Needless to say, I was very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed this story!
"Book of Night" follows Charlie, a young woman who was a low stakes con artist, just trying to get by as a bartender. She gets sucked back into the dark world of shadow trading when someone from her past reemerges. I really enjoyed that this fantasy novel was rooted in reality, with minor fantastical elements. I think it is so much easier to become quickly engrossed in stories that are written in this way. I also really loved seeing the flashbacks of a younger Charlie. It was a really interesting way to see how she learned her con artist abilities, and to see why she views the world how she does. She is rough around the edges, and a real underdog that you just cannot help but root for. 
The ending had me at the edge of my seat, and I really hope we get to see a sequel soon!

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