Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

19 reviews

bruisedtigers's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This made me squirm at so many moments. One part of the climax made me lower the book in heeby-jeebied defeat before summoning the will to proceed. I couldn't predict where this was going -- in a good way! I did want a little less of the characters having funny commentary in the middle of tense moments, but it wasn't a deal-breaker. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Body horror, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual violence and Miscarriage

zachisreading's review

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

The Twisted Ones is a book that does a lot of things right. You'll find yourself propelled forward by the main character's wit into a curious mystery that becomes more and more strange the further in you go. The haunting refrain of her step grandfather's journal, from which the book takes it's name, will stick with you between readings. It is a hard book to put down, and even harder to stay away from.

Then, in the last handful of chapters, I felt the book fumbled the dismount. Too much was revealed too fast and too completely. Significant parts of the mystery wind up tossed to the curb in the fantastical reveals. The monsters wind up being too human, largely discarding the eldritch horror that fueled the book up to this point. The unknowable becomes known, at least in part, and that removes some of the terror. 

Still, it's not a book to be left unread. It's creeping horror is a lovely, well-crafted thing that could easily have felt dated if not for the protagonist's thoroughly modern voice. Plus, there's a dog. And everyone needs more dogs in their lives. Even fictional ones. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Infertility

Minor: Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Racism

thekeytotheend's review against another edition

dark funny 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Body horror, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Blood, Alcohol, Dementia, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy

Minor: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Gun violence, Racism, and Torture

finishorforget's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

parkerluck's review

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Almost a 4 star because the horror aspect is 😵‍💫, really really worked for me. I loved the buildup, particularly with the journal/manuscript, and all the description was very scary. I was worried the outcome would fall flat once the mystery was revealed but instead I found it very gross (affectionate) and intriguing!

Mainly I wanted just a little more from the characters and maybe like... 10% less quip during the tense scenes. The humor waned after a bit and I felt myself getting tired after reading "Hon" for the 4th time on a page. Overall it definitely wasn't a dealbreaker by any means and I found the MC very likeable!! Just wish she had a bit more going on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Animal death, Slavery, and Miscarriage

ghostams's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 Absolutely loved this book! It was an insanely amazing mix of folklore, family history, isolating energy, small town vibes, and childhood-level fear. Definitely a book I wish I could forget, just to read again, even though it was terrifying in the best way. Plus, the characters are so unique while being regular folk. Also, the dog doesn't die and is arguably the hero! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Mental illness and Grief

Minor: Racism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Confinement, Child death, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, and Death

breezer's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Miscarriage

kimberlyswalters's review

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious 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? No

4.0

I started off reading about 60 pages and then finished the rest of the book the following evening, so it is pretty fast paced and fun to read. It gets pretty wild and outlandish, but it doesn't make the story seem dumb or unbelievable.

Mouse even talks about how the trauma of the experience is causing issues and that her Aunt has even mentioned that she may need therapy, but Mouse can't talk to a therapist about how she wondered into another world with creatures made of roadkill, earth, and garbage and was almost trapped there to breed for an eternity, so y'know....

It builds up the crazy at a good pace and the characters are written well, so it's fun to imagine them going through this scenerio in heeled boots and pink lipstick like Foxy does. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Infertility

Minor: Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and Body horror

There isn't a tag for stillbirth that I see, so I did tag miscarriages as a content warning instead, but they were likely stillbirths. It doesn't go into explicit detail about the births, but the deaths are mentioned briefly.

ju_shi's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Miscarriage