Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

165 reviews

cillem's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is a dark, hilarious, and really well written book. The premises is unlike anything I've ever read before - no actual villain, yet everything wants to kill all the students.

I love the main character! She's snarky, she fights to survive, she goes against her innate darkness, and she breaks the fourth wall in her thoughts. And she is powerful, and she knows it! 

Definitely worth reading!

PS. Feminism! Talking about birth control and periods. Loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death of parent

Moderate: Gore

geckotigerwolf's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

4.75

A magic school where there are no teachers, the school itself is out to get you and every friendship is strategic - everyone's just trying to make it to graduation a) alive and b) allied with the right people to ensure they continue to stay alive after graduation too. 

I love protagonists who take action based on the most strategic move and this protagonist is really smart. I loved watching her. Really interesting world and unique situation. I couldn't get enough of it and ordered the sequel (I think it's a duology) from the library within minutes of finishing. 

(PS the magical world is nicely diverse, with students from around the world and lots of spellcasting languages mentioned, from Mandarin to Sanskrit to Finnish, which was a nice breath of fresh air.) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Vomit, and Death of parent

sketchclouds's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Gore

Minor: Death of parent

fiercereadsfiction's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

bethaneekay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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: Death and Classism

Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

00phantom's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Vomit

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Body horror

ginbat's review against another edition

mysterious tense

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

1.5

Someone should’ve told the author about “show don’t tell.” In some ways yes, that’s difficult because it’s fantasy but Jesus I feel like she gave us lots of unnecessary info. Also main character felt like a Mary Sue. Should have been YA but it’s not. Cool concept but ultimately empty.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

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

readwithsophsx's review

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

kiwij96's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.75

I could not tell you a single thing that happened in this.

If you took out all of Galadriel's ramblings, lore/infodumping, and internal monologues, the book would be like 70 pages.

Why was this only 13 chapters? It dragged on so much because of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Vomit and Pregnancy

Minor: Racism