Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

32 reviews

gondorgirl's review

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Death of parent

emilyrandolph_epstein's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This was an uncomfortable book, but I was able to buy into it until the end, which felt somewhat rushed compared to the pace of the rest.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cancer, and Domestic abuse

pagesofkenzie's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Violence, and Physical abuse

mary_soon_lee's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

"The Crane Husband" is one of this year's crop of Nebula-nominated novellas. Is it good? Yes. Did I enjoy it? No.

It's a beautifully-written but desolate story at the intersection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The tale is a reworking of a Japanese folk story, this version set in a near-future where farming can be entirely automated and corporate, but there are also magical creatures. The story is narrated by a fifteen-year-old girl who is in jeopardy and trying to safeguard her six-year-old brother. There's violence and harm, both physical and mental. The plot turns on abusive relationships and attempts to escape. The bleakness of the story's main events is rendered even sharper in contrast to the girl's memories of her tender father. The story speaks also of art, but the art of the story is a very harsh mistress.

It's haunting. I liked the writing very much. I was on edge and distressed as I read: I don't do well with sustained jeopardy to children.

Call it four out of five distraught stars.

About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Violence, and Domestic abuse

kaiyakaiyo's review

emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

brutal yet beautiful book! I expected to like it based on how much I loved When Women Were Dragons, and did! Barnhill’s prose is so … something! emotive, throbbing, evocative. I felt so dearly for our main character, and felt so acutely the struggle of her family over generations. 

this book was deeply sad and is not very hopeful, but it is powerful and does not devolve into hopelessness or despair for despairs sake. it just is, you feel and sit in those feelings. 

idk much like most of my 5-stars, I can’t really articulate exactly what I liked. Just know that I liked it immensely 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Blood, Gun violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Animal death

Minor: Terminal illness and Alcoholism

jessicafee86's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Sexism

meaghanelizabook's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Cancer, Child abuse, Body horror, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Terminal illness, Blood, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

booksthoughtsandtea's review

dark emotional 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

4.5

This book shows the lengths older siblings will go to protect younger siblings, that love isn't enough to live on, the power of selfishness and selflessness, and the burden of grief. I wish this book had a more satisfying ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Murder, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Grief

annaavian's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.0

In "The Crane Husband," Kelly Barnhill reimagines the traditional Japanese folktale "The Crane Wife" for a modern Western audience through a devastating dark fantasy that explores domestic violence, cycles of abuse, fear of abandonment, and the exploitation of women. While staying true to the core theme of the original folklore - the mistreatment of women by men - Barnhill introduces additional layers of complexity and insight. However, the protagonist does not alter the story's ending from tragic to uplifting. Despite the crane's demise, nothing is truly salvaged.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Violence

daniellekat's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

Beautiful and simple but the writing often surprised me with its power of capturing certain moments and feelings. I loved the added element of the not-too-far-future dystopian environment. Overall, a stunning novella with an interesting perspective on a tragic and all too common experience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Blood