Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

27 reviews

taliaalongi's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

bekahzabel's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious 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? No

4.0

The Prison Healer is a dark YA fantasy about a girl named Kiva who was locked away at 7 years old into a prison called Zalindov. Guilty by association, her and her father are convicted against treason to the crown. 

Now 10 years later, Kiva uses the healing skills her father taught her as the head Prison Healer. When the Rebel Queen arrives at the prison extremely sick, Kiva is tasked with keeping her alive. The rebel queen is sentenced to elemental trials, and when she’s too sick to participate, Kiva volunteers to take her place in the trials. Trials that no one has ever survived before, to earn her freedom. 

I really enjoyed this one and it did intrigue and hook me within the first 100 pages. Some very solid plot twists although at times things felt slightly repetitive in the middle, I realized by the end how all of it was tying factors and plot points together. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys magical trials, dark fantasy settings, a touch of romance along the way, and found family.

4 solid stars 🌟

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use and Self harm

missgarceau's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

This book hooks you immediately! It’s a really easy and binge worthy read. The plot twists are very fun. The puzzles and quest for answers is very intriguing. 

It’s dark and checking TW’s is recommended- but it’s not shock value graphic or unnecessarily brutal in descriptions. The author paints the picture without overdoing it, and I appreciate that.

I had a few mild annoyances but those were mostly “me” problems that I don’t think would bother most people.
1) The plants/science:
It’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine when high fantasy uses real world elements inconsistently along with high fantasy elements unique to the world. The world building was really lacking for me in this regard. 
2) How I met your mother: 
Another pet peeve of mine is pop culture references in high fantasy. This just 🤦🏼‍♀️ All of it was so pointless or could have been done in a way that didn’t make me cringe at the very obvious ode to/copy cat of the show. 
3) miscommunication trope/ betrayal trope/ secret identity trope/ enemies to who knows- just all my least favorite tropes.
4) Space invasion: 
Some very intimate moments for the main love interest happened in a very unlikely moment and very cringe worthy scenario considering the circumstances and it completely undid all the butterflies/ character development I felt up to that point.

My biggest issue is probably world building & character development- but it’s very addicting. Despite my grievances, I find myself itching to read the second book ever though I will probably hate it, based on where the plot is going. 

Is this a romance with an HEA? The answer might determine my willingness to continue- honestly.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

tabea1409's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

chiruruchi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

tinybluepixel's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, and Sexual harassment

livcashmere's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mrobin14's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.0

The writing at times is very immature. Often thoughts would be scattered paragraphs away from where it started, or events would become repetitively told to the reader within the same chapters. Some events that transpired don’t make sense to have been included, it feels like they were cheap shots at making a “diverse” and “deep” cast. Pages were clearly taken from Lemony Snicketts writing in silly chapter set ups, but it just makes it feel like a poorly written YA novel. Feel as though the story idea is good, but needed a more stern publisher to steer it in the right direction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and War

gcjay1994's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

This one snuck up on me - in the end I realized what a good time I had. A lot darker than anticipated in some spots. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

artsycupcake's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.25

The twist at the end of this book sold absolutely everything for me.

I already loved the aspect of a prison healer being just and doing whatever it took to survive but to find out this is a villain origin story is the best thing I could have found out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail