Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

16 reviews

searchandrescueteam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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

The first in this Scholomance trilogy - I found it very difficult to engage with it initially.  As the author builds the Scholomance environment it is dark and deathly and fast-moving.  Encouraged by others who had read it, I kept going.
Suddenly I simply became immersed in it.  And it was worth persisting.  The world built here is intricately described in the narrator’s matter-of-fact style - that is a constant guide for the reader.
The narrator's reflection on her time at “mundane” school and the way those experiences built her expectations of relationships and friendships in the future is poignant and important.
By the end I was hungering for the next one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

flower_mail's review against another edition

adventurous funny 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood, Vomit, Stalking, and Pregnancy

scarlett_f's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

3.5

Takes 2/3rds of the book to get to any real story or action. Too much detail-building. Maps of the school and cross-sections are at the end of the book. Should've been at the beginning for better understanding of the layout. Strong female protagonist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

lucystolethesky's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Gore, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation

_nem_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.5

I very much enjoyed this book. I liked the way the description of the world was woven in when it was relevant to the story. It was slightly confusing at the beginning but I quickly got into the story and the location. It's a very interesting concept and set up and nothing like any school I have read about before. The narrator, El, is not written to be a likeable character and I did sometimes find her decisions frustrating but I wanted to know how they turned out. Having a powerful MC that then has their own struggles because of it was also a refreshing thing to read about. 

I feel like some people will love this book and some people will hate it but if you like description and a detailed back story, I think you'll like it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Medical trauma and Fire/Fire injury

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I’m sorry to report that I found the narrator / heroine so rude, annoying, and just plain bitchy that I didn’t enjoy the book. I got the point about why she was so angry at the world but that didn’t need to be repeated again and again and again. 

I also wasn’t very excited about a school that’s full of dangerous creatures within a world even more full of dangerous creatures - and for that to be the only plot point. There wasn’t a lot of complexity: high school students in endless struggle to stay alive. While I appreciated the wealth of bizarre creatures within the bowels of the school, and I enjoyed seeing how each would manifest its menace, that wasn’t enough to sustain my interest. 

I know everyone else adores this book so clearly there’s a personal flaw that prevents me from appreciating it properly. I just didn’t like it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

phoebemurtagh's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Racism and Abandonment

sofiya's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

When it comes to rating books, I put 5 stars as either "this book had a profound effect on me" or "I loved this book through and through and already want to re-read it." This book falls into the latter category for me, despite any of its minor flaws. I thought the world was really interesting and enjoyed El's snark even though I'm not generally a fan of first-person POVs. I like her growth as a character and that even her bad qualities revolve around really realistic things (trying to survive) rather than just her being mean for no reason.

Unlike other reviewers, I didn't have a problem with the "info dumping" and didn't really notice it until I read reviews, but there was a point where I (aloud) said "Okay, okay, I get it. Just do it already!" But I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. I think that was more the character herself than the writing.

Also, I really enjoyed the writing. It felt reasonably elevated for the genre, and I personally never thought "adult Harry Potter". Overall, just really enjoyable to me and I'm excited to get to the next one.

Last thing, but I half-listened, half-read this book, and the person who recorded the audiobook did an amazing job. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Sexual assault

francestea's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

I really enjoyed reading the physical book last year (a magic school + angsty teens + no adults/teachers + monsters looming in every corner= a great premise). To refresh for book 2 I listened to the book 1 audiobook and the narrator is great. I noticed that hearing it read out loud, El is somehow even more angsty and unlikeable with all the attitude and inflection. Anyhow, its a dark, fun, and fairly quick read. I look forward to book 2.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Death of parent

taelights's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No

2.5

Honestly, I didn't like this book and didn't hate this book either. I just felt so indifferent to the story itself and the characters. It was boring at times and the main character was very annoying (even more so with the woman's voice who narrated the audiobook) and she had literally no chemistry with her boring love interest. I was really looking forward to reading this series but book one has me very disappointed and not wanting to read book two. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent