Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Harrow la Novena by Tamsyn Muir

34 reviews

corsetedfeminist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

It’s okay, I didn’t need my heart to be in one piece anyway.
If you’re keeping a spreadsheet, yes, this book also made me cry. 
I’m not sure how to write a review for it, because it defies my normal method of writing reviews and I don’t want to spoil certain very startling plot points, but I shall try. 
I really liked the growth of Harrow’s character in this and I found myself identifying with her a lot as someone who grew up in religion and then suddenly started deconstructing it all. The constant question of what is real or not in this book makes it both rather confusing to read but also riveting, and Harrow’s struggles with mental illness and hallucinations is handled realistically- gently by those who love her, and as another way to manipulate her by others. (Ianthe, when I get my hands on you, you’re going to regret being the surviving twin) I loved Harrow in the last book, but I came to love her even more in this one- she is deeply, deeply flawed, but also deeply broken and simultaneously trying to be better, even when her methods are… questionable. 
The plot itself is complex and confusing, but also grabs you by the throat and drags you along in a way that cannot be escaped. I’m still a little unclear on all of the relationships that are detailed in the last few chapters, and I’m pretty sure I need a spreadsheet, but the story manages very complicated and obscure worldbuilding while preserving the atmosphere and drive in a way that keeps the story moving forward. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury

kys_chai_and_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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

This book, on the re-read, is one of my favorites to date. It's challenging and heartbreaking and tense, and frankly confusing as hell the first time you read it. But it's worth it for the experience of fuguring out the layered mysteries at the end-- and seeing the threads on the reread. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Abandonment

Second book in the Locked Tomb series

cuteasamuntin's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

Minor: Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Medical content

lunarkris's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

arysuh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

À la première lecture, je n’ai pas aimé le roman. C’était tellement différent de Gideon que j’étais à deux doigts d’abandonner. Je suis heureuse d’avoir tenu bon et de l’avoir réécouté et relu à l’aulne des révélations faites dans le dénouement. 
Pour l’instant, c’est pour moi le plus difficile à lire des trois publiés à cause des thèmes abordés de ce qui arrive à Harrow, de ce qui lui est infligé.
Et dire qu’on pensait dans GtN qu’elle menait sa barque ! 😅

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

eldane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

5.0

Just when I thought the first book was mind-boggling, the second arrived and knocked my teeth out with no warning whatsoever. This is one of those books you have to be patient with as it rips your heart out, even if you don't understand why. Muir does something excellent in writing the most poignant scenes with the most bizarre descriptions and then adding a line of dialogue that is so snappy and crude and brilliant you can't help but laugh. The story is dense and put together like Frankenstein's monster, but you are rewarded with delicious, jaw-dropping answers that will have you frothing at the mouth for the next book (Nona, when I catch you...when I catch you, Nona). I loved how expansive and epic this story was while also being heartbreakingly raw and intimate. Harrow's grief and PTSD is dealt with in a way that is honest and unflinching, and the narrative does not begrudge her for being in mourning. There is something about the way that Muir weaves in all these references and allusions, hauntingly reminiscent of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, that makes me want to scream into a pillow because it's so bloody brilliant. Well done. I am ready to get hurt again.
 

Featuring: 

• Space necromancers
• The most unexpected “Hi, blank. I’m Dad” joke you’ll ever encounter
• Everyone is sad and angry
• “I wish you would die” (affectionate)
• “It was all a dream” except the dream was the complex parallel universe you made in the afterlife to pretend that your trauma didn’t happen
• The all-consuming souls of murdered planet-creatures (???)
• Hell is real and it’s a mouth with too many tongues (literal)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Minor: Sexual content and Abandonment

essieruth's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is a book you really need to read at least twice to appreciate. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, Incest, Infertility, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Alcohol

larbster90's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.5

I never know what’s going on in these books but I enjoy them anyway

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Alcohol

ladythana's review against another edition

mysterious sad tense slow-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, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Self harm, Medical content, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

Minor: Body shaming and Colonisation