Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Weyward by Emilia Hart

44 reviews

kimveach's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

I had high expectations because this was the Goodreads Choice Awards Book of the Year (2023)—perhaps too high.  It was a good book, but I felt the three good storylines were one too many.  With stories set in the 1600s, 1940s, and the present day, the story constantly jumped around.  If I had been able to read it in one sitting, it might have worked. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Bullying, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Vomit, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Stalking, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Classism, and Sexism

aestass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

This book is an inner generational story of a family of women witches from the middle age which trials to the modern day. It is very similar to “A secret history of witches” by Louisa Morgan, but with more of a focus on birds, insects, nature. The story focuses, primarily on three different weapon: Altha, Violet, and Kate. It talks about these women struggles as they try to come to terms with using their gifts, and touches on elements of abusive relationships and domestic violence. Overall, it is a heartwarming tale of resilience and about the joys of giving into one’s passions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Miscarriage, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Infertility, Animal death, Alcohol, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, and War

This book touches on many mature and dark topics in a way that is respectful and not overly graphic, but necessarily detailed in order to convey their importance.

sar_willow's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexism, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Blood, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Car accident

Minor: War and Panic attacks/disorders

fruitwash's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.5

After reading all the wonderful reviews, this book let me down a bit. Maybe I went in with incorrect assumptions, but I wanted MUCH MORE witchy magic. It was a lot of sexual abuse & violence against women to get through for a pretty lackluster ending and NOT MUCH MAGIC. Since there is a main character who is literally going through a witch trial, I thought it was safe to assume there would be some witchcraft? But there was only one spell alluded to in the entire book. No potions, no rituals, no sigils. 80% of the book was just relatively dull, slow-paced, magic-free descriptions of how men are abusing the three main characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Bullying, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Child death, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

nadine34b10's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Abortion

Moderate: Car accident and Death of parent

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Vomit, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Abortion, Body horror, Death of parent, Infertility, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy

cassie7e's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This is the kind of story I hoped for from A Secret History of Witches - a winding tale of connected generations of witches. I think it's the focus on fewer individuals, the persistent nature theme and symbolism, and the nonlinear telling that makes this one work better for me. We get to see each woman all throughout the book instead of just being a string of beads we look at one by one, one after the other. The magic is also more ambiguous (but still there) than SHW, more of a magical realism feel like A Murmuring of Bees (one of my faves) than the historical realism vibe of SHW.

TW for Rape, sexual assault, pregnancy, abortion, domestic abuse

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Violence, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Abortion, Sexual violence, Car accident, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Medical trauma, Cancer, Confinement, War, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Medical content, Infertility, Grief, and Blood

rachelly's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Rape, Abortion, Child death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide, and Sexual assault

megatron1560's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

Really enjoyed this but it is painful to read; each of these women went through so much but the ending was very satisfying 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Car accident, Physical abuse, Murder, Rape, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Abortion, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Blood

chelseanaylor's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

This was a beautiful weaving of the resiliency of women. It reminded me of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi in the way the story weaves through time. This was powerful, tense, and beautiful. 

The theme of the book can be summed up in this quote: 
"Perhaps one day, she said, there would be a safer time. When women could walk the earth, shining bright with power, and yet live."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

Decent amount of mention of spiders and bugs.