Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

98 reviews

kermittuesday's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

Deeply weird, but very good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Torture, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death of parent, Blood, Suicide, War, Gun violence, Death, and Child death

Minor: Car accident

juliana_marie's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Child death

sersi's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Suicide, Murder, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Rape

jodar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

This is a fantasy novel with a strong science fiction, metaphysical, multiple-universes bent (“there’s no such thing as magic”). Along the way it did feel rather weird and the storyline a little disjointed, but by the end it’s clear why that is. What worried me for quite a while was what appeared to be extreme, gratuitous violence, especially the violence against children. But the rationale for the violence was explained well and is integral to the novel. A novelty to me was having a demiurge as a pivotal character.

I found the characters were well portrayed, the MC relatable (despite getting pretty extreme psychologically), the dialogue flowed naturally and the plot moved along at a moderate pace without bogging down. There’s even some nicely pitched humour, particularly aimed against the foibles and excesses of Americans. The story is well-grounded, too, even though at various times the reader is confronted by a wide-sweeping, multiple-time-and-space viewpoint. I kept wanting to pick up the book again each time, which is a good sign.

Themes that for me lifted this novel above a simple “fun read”: the dark side of power, especially power over others’ welfare and lives; friendship and authentic love; true versus apparent strength; the search for meaning; the ultimate mystery of existence.

An impressive first novel by the author. I’d be keen to read any sequel, as the ending hinted there may be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Physical abuse, and Bullying

Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Suicide, Cursing, and Sexual assault

Minor: Car accident and Vomit

jkauffman503's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Cursing, and Death of parent

saroreen's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Blood, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide, Child death, War, Torture, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death

knifed's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

good for fans of american elsewhere by robert jackson bennett

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Murder, and Child abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Addiction, Rape, Drug use, and Self harm

dana_naylor's review against another edition

fast-paced

5.0

Absolutely batshit insane.
I loved it.

Trigger warnings galore. The gore and torment is intense.
I doubt I’ll reread it, but it was a wild journey. Definitely not for everyone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Emotional abuse, Rape, Gore, Violence, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Murder, Death, Sexual assault, Animal death, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Child death, Car accident, Suicide, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence

gondorgirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Rape, Blood, Bullying, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Suicide, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide attempt, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

nookandcrannyseattle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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

5.0

That was wild. I like how none of the "big twists" felt like "big twists" because the whole thing was so unhinged that I was prepared to take pretty much anything in stride. A bit like the characters themselves, I guess, which is a little unsettling. Also, this is the first book I've read in recent memory that has an epilogue that doesn't actively detract from the rest of the work. Unnecessary, but not unwelcome to revisit a favorite side character (albeit one I did not want to like as much as I did). 

I will say that this was GORY. Some scenes were very hard to read (see CW - rape, child murder, animal death) and I'm glad I was reading it in print so I could do some strategic skimming. So probably won't read again, but it was a spectacular one-off!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Excrement, Violence, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence