Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

23 reviews

omgmkg's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book was advertised to me as witch trial fiction, but it is really much more about the conditions that allow a witch hunt and trial to happen. As a bit of a social scientist, this fictionalized take really speaks to me. At the same time, that makes the pacing of the book a bit odd—first quite slow and then fast. 

The exploration of what it would have been like if a remote place had lost all its men (which did actually happen historically) was fascinating and a part of that slower pace, though, and I really enjoyed it. As one reviewer stated, it is a feminist book without ignoring historical reality. 

I loved Ursa and Maren and really felt I learned their worlds. I was rooting for each of them right away. 

Sort of spoiler (very mild)

Spoiler

I wish that there was a more positive or satisfying end, but that is just not realistic in this type of book.

 

It is written in present tense which is  not my preference, but I got used to it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Miscarriage, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Rape

mxawprince's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

starryforest's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

3.75

Spoiler

??
i didn’t like the ending, but it was  realistic and dramatic 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, and Violence

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.25

This was so hard to put down. Very compelling and moving. Good discussions of gender and the roles of women in society, the impact of Christianity on native people, and what unprocessed grief can do to people.

Very atmospheric and pretty gay.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, Grief, Sexual assault, Murder, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Body horror, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Infertility, Gore, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit

Minor: War

moriahleigh's review

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Suicide, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual assault

gollibee's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Death

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

alithomas's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Torture

Minor: Vomit and Suicidal thoughts

cosmic_griffin's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I loved this book. It was written so well, and I felt fully immersed in the story the whole way through. It had such a beautiful historical feel to it.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

katerina_k_lw's review

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.75

Felt like traveling to a long lost in time, far away, strange and hostile land, yet so close because of what it means to be a woman in a world that isn't ours. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Murder, Religious bigotry, Death, and Torture

Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, and Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty and Suicidal thoughts

Enlightening about the suffering that civilised Europeans inflicted on the Sàmi people (indigenous people of North Norway).

decie's review

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

this could have been so good but

Spoiler

as soon as they arrested the friend it went downhill SO FAST. devastating. and I know it's historically accurate for it to be devastating, but tbh i want all books to give all queer people happy endings.

...definitely check the trigger warnings. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Misogyny, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Child death and Miscarriage