Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

26 reviews

angryturtle68's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

nausicaa_teto's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Vomit

kenina's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

As far as a middle school fiction goes, this was really good!! It was relatable, and it was a good book for just kicking back and relaxing. It was very funny, especially when Keefe comes in. I love how diverse the characters are personality-wise, and how accurately Messenger can grow the characters throughout the series. She's very good at waiting until the last possible second to reveal a big twist, and then leave us on a cliffhanger. Stellarlune's is the worst as of yet. Overall a really great read, as is the rest of the series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility

There is a kidnapping, and while they are kidnapped, they are tortured. There are also very distinct elitist tropes, as there being the nobles and the working class. Cities being terrorized by fire is mentioned quite a bit.

amaya_s's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Grief

Moderate: Blood

kassidyreads's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

jammydodgers's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

5.0

I love this book, keefe is my definite favorite character 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Kidnapping

unusuallyy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Stalking

Minor: Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

valpyre's review against another edition

looking through the other books in the series it really is like, damn, mediocre books stay getting nice book covers

caveat i'm def not the target audience for this book but i don't think that disqualifies me from criticizing it

i honestly really wanted to like the MC of this book but she was written as such a mary sue it just completely put me off. it was so frustrating bc she had inherently good qualities that i really enjoyed reading about and tween struggles that i think younger readers could relate to. there was also an underlying current of grief that i thought added depth to her character and those around her that pleasantly surprised me, but not much more than that. to

overall, the worldbuilding of the super special and magical fantasy world was poorly executed and not compelling -- the book smugglers review of this book articulates this much better than i can.

i also found it really awkward how often it was pointed out/hinted that the boys at school (specifically her close-ish friends) were crushing on her -- it was so repetitive and discomfiting. this, of course, came along with all the other girls at school disliking her because of that.

i really tried to give this book a shot but i never found more redeeming qualities in it, and having had a peek at reviews of the other books in the series, i don't think i'm missing out on much. good for the author, get your bag, i guess.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief

hedyharper's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

tays_dear_reader's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death and Fire/Fire injury