Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

150 reviews

kwthor's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

jgarner510's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Death

rorikae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

N.K. Jemisin crafts the middle book in a trilogy that retains its excitement, character work, and worldbuilding. Without spoiling book one, this story follows along from where the first book leaves off and delves further into Essun's life. In addition, we also get so see what Nassun's life has been like, which is a fascinating contrast to her mother. We get to learn more about why the world is the way it is as well as some really important understandings about orogeny. The more time I spend in this world, the clearer it is how much time and effort Jimisin has put in to craft an exceptional world with flawed, deeply human characters. Her writing is precise and evocative as she slowly pulls back the edges of our understanding of the world and her characters. I cannot wait to start book three though I am not looking forward to finishing this exceptional series. I wish there were even more books in this world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse

slinkmalink's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.25

Continued the excellent world-building as more about the way orogeny (and magic) work was discovered. 
I still love Alabaster and I love their relationship to eachother

and I was so sad he died even though I knew it was coming I think I tried to convince myself otherwise

I think I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first one because I missed Syenite's perspective (yes I know technically we still had it) and it also felt a bit more bleak which makes sense as the world is ending

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse and Cannibalism

wormgirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, and Grief

lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-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

4.75

Also so wonderful. The more we learn about the world, the more devastating it is. Maybe my experience with world-ending fiction is with YA, but Jemisin's ability to balance the universe/wider experience with the POV/main characters is indescribably good. Once again relieved that I already reserved the next book from the library. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Cannibalism, and War

jess_always_reading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

Absolutely loved this story, I could hardly wait to get it from my local library after I finished book one and now I'm diving right into the third book (Stone Sky). Jemisin is such a gifted storyteller and her world-building is next level. There were also some wonderful twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming. 

Highly recommend 10/10!

TW for some serious trauma (throughout the whole series it feels like) though not gratuitous. Mind the content warnings if it's important to you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Cannibalism

aidareads's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.25

liked it more than the first one so that's nice. really, really enjoyed how layered and fleshed out the characters are (and not only the main cast, mind you) and the narrative style is still quite interesting and egaging. i'm very intrigued to find out what happens in the third and last book of the trilogy, because i as a reader feel like these two books (especially the first one) are mostly about setting the scene and building up momentum for the grand finale!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Cannibalism

alfarmer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.25

If anything I love the characters more—flaws and all. A little bit of middle book syndrome. A lot of stuff happens just you set you up for the last book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

barda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Sexual content