Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Unraveller

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Unraveller by Frances Hardinge

8 reviews

of_fantasy_and_fibre's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. The worldbuilding was very strong as the descriptions were very detailed and evocative. The characters start of very sure of themselves but you learn, especially with the male character that they might not know the world as well as they think they did. The twists and turns, partnerships and betrayals set them on a road to self discovery in a lovely but sometimes very bleak and gory coming of age story. I really like that it examined multiple threads of what it is to be human and more than human. The magical allegories for relationships and the smoke and mirror games some people play with each other were very solid and well done.

This book would really suit people who like high fantasy with a nice coming of age stories and good reflections on why some people hate. Additionally if you like to read about partnerships between people who balance each other out , found family and mystical creatures, this is for you.

Content Warnings

totallyshelfaware's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

seyfert's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Content Warnings

sarahna's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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

Content Warnings

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

I think the concept of this was unique and interesting, and I really found the entire concept facsinating. The idea of spiders spreading curses is something I haven't seen in YA fantasy before, and Hardinge has a sort of whimsy about her writing that feels like a fairy tale. Objectively, the book is well written and fans of Hardinge's other books will definitely enjoy this one.

However, I just didn't really connect with the overall story. I don't know if it was the characters or the main conflict or what. It was enjoyable while I was listening to it, but it's likely not a book that I'll visit again.

Content Warnings

bookforthought's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

Unraveller was my third Frances Hardinge book, and by now I can safely say I'm looking forward to catching up on all her books! As with the others I read, this book was just dark and creepy enough which made it a perfect November read. The world-building was also spot on, with the main storyline enriched with little nuggets of local lore, customs and magical creatures. I alternated between the e-book and the audio version for this, and I have to say it worked beautifully: the audiobook narrator in particular did a spectacular job bringing all the characters to life!

The plot was very original and definitely highly engaging: in the land of Raddith, anyone who strongly hates another person may curse them and only one boy, Kellen, has the power to unravel curses. Kellen himself is cursed, however, and unless he can learn how to unravel his own curse, he risks destroying everything and everyone around him. The story soon starts to show its multiple layers and, just like a complex tapestry we follow a thread at a time until the whole picture is clear before our eyes. The author does a great job weaving and unweaving the tale and the luscious, atmospheric setting plays a big part in that.

As Kellen and his friend Nettle journey across the land, they engage in a series of quests, unravelling various curses as they go. Pretty soon, it started to feel as though we were deep in a cycle of travel, quest, curse, unravelling and repeat. Although some of the places they visit and the characters they meet were fascinating, it did start to feel a little repetitive at times, and there was an almost endless parade of secondary characters who were introduced and left so fast I struggled to keep up with them. Sadly, this also meant I didn't really grow attached to any of them so that, when a few made a further appearance at a key point later on in the book, I was mostly unfazed.

This was really a shame, as in contrast I liked the main characters very much! Both Kellen and Nettle were unique, complex and deeply flawed and I loved them both so much for it. Their friendship and loyalty to their other friends and family members were an absolute delight to read about, and I really appreciated how they were called out on their mistakes and worked to put them right. There was real character growth here, which made me even sadder that it was limited to the main characters only.

Unraveller is a perfectly creepy read, perfect for readers who are looking for vivid settings and original world-building, despite the story dragging on a bit in the middle.

Content Warnings

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Frances Hardinge’s Unraveller is a beautifully written and richly imagined fantasy with a deliciously twisted, dark fairytale-esque aesthetic I couldn’t get enough of!

I loved every single second of this immersive (and utterly addictive) masterpiece. And reading this genuinely felt like one of those vivid dreams that you find soo beautiful you desperately hope never to leave. It’s only on closer inspection do you realise you’ve actually stumbled into a nightmare of the strange and magical—that’s what Unraveller felt like, but in the most glorious way.

I absolutely loved how detailed and lush the world-building was, the spellbindingly strange, sprawling landscape was just exquisite and the inhabitants really added a depth that truly made reading this an immersive experience.

I really liked both main characters we’re introduced to. Kellen is a rash, flawed and complex character who finds himself with a gift to unravel the curses that are inflicted from “cursed eggs”, formed from the build up of people’s long buried hatred and spite. I really enjoyed exploring his concept of justice, but his anger issues (one of his biggest flaws) were also really interesting to watch as his “gift” of unravelling can cause everything in his vicinity (garments, furniture, objects) to unravel when he experiences heightened emotions. Most of the narrative revolves around his impulsive tendencies and the result of his rash decisions—most of which do get him into a spot of trouble on more than one occasion. But his journey does involve some self reflection and I enjoyed seeing him learn the importance of having a little patience.

Nettle, our other protagonist is the complete antithesis to Kellen, she’s methodical and cautious in her approach to most situations but also caring, which I felt definitely helped to balance out some of Kellen’s chaotic, callous and unpredictable tendencies. She internalises a lot of her problems which does make her seem a little colder/ uncaring to begin with however, we do learn why she’s soo guarded and I genuinely felt emotional over what she had to endure (having been cursed by her stepmother.)

The supporting cast of characters were also really well crafted and the uniqueness (and detail) that Hardinge imbues into each one was pretty impressive. Whether unjustly cursed, the person doing the cursing, or even just one of the beings or creatures from the magic infested wilds—I was fascinated by them all. I could easily read a novel based on every single one of them, but I did have a soft spot for Gall and Yannick who I found especially fascinating.

Having given up an eye to control the fiery (and deadly) marsh horse, marsh rider Gall was a character I spent the most time on the fence about —he’s a morally ambiguous character (due in part to his bond with such a wild and dangerous creature) but given the mystery surrounding him I was a little unsure where his loyalties would eventually lie. I did, however, really enjoy what little of his backstory we did unravel which really made me see him in a new light.

Likewise, Yannick really came into his own as character in the second half of the book as we learn a little more about his life beyond being Nettle’s similarly cursed brother. And his interactions with Kellen in the later chapters were soo entertaining.

Overall, a beautifully written and genuinely compelling, fantasy with a unique magic system, plenty of intriguing characters and plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. It wraps up nicely with a pretty satisfying and—more the most part—fairly uplifting ending. If you love your fantasy dark and deliciously twisted then I definitely recommend picking this up.

Also, a huge thank you to Bethan at Macmillan Kids UK for this stunning finished copy.

Content Warnings

ballgownsandbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

4.5 stars

It is well-documented (see: <a href=“https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp_jeZ_Fe1sz5t6aAXyPTdoPtdJlLZum-“>many hours of Cara’s and my rambly gushing</a> that I am incapable of talking about Frances Hardinge’s writing with any degree of coherence - especially while avoiding spoilers - so perhaps requesting an ARC of this was a mistake. But here goes:

The marketing material that comes with the eARC describes Hardinge’s writing as ‘unique gothic imagination carried by luminous prose’, which is really a much more succinctly accurate description than anything I could come up with! And this book absolutely lives up to everything you expect from her work: an extremely creepy setting that feels like a character in its own right; a bizarre world where nothing is as it seems; a twisty plot full of mysteries, betrayals, and turns you never could have seen coming, but make total sense when they do; loveable characters who deserve the absolute world; and discussions of themes that are impressively wide-ranging and nuanced!

So let’s break those down one by one:

The Wilds is a classic Hardinge setting, and it is CREEPY. It has a personality right from the first sentence, and the feeling of darkness and danger permeates the whole book.

If you must travel to the country of Raddith, then be prepared. Bring a mosquito net for the lowlands, and a warm coat for the hills or mountains. If you mean to visit the misty marsh-woods known as the Wilds, you will need stout, waterproof boots. (You will also need wits, courage and luck, but some things cannot be packed.)

Beyond the basic setting, the wider world is also so fully-realised and layered. Not just the physical geography, but also the terrifying array of supernatural creatures, and of course the curses, which was such a unique and creative conceit that opens so many doors for exploration.

You can’t cure a curse; you have to unravel it. You have to find the reasons that wove it, and work out how to pull the threads loose.

The plot is gloriously complex. Even for Hardinge, it’s complicated and twisty, with an unusually and sometimes bewilderingly large cast of side characters we only encounter briefly, but her writing is masterful enough that every thread is pulled together by the end, and every character and encounter contributes something to our understanding of the world and themes.

The characters are simply everything. Nettle in particular has my whole heart, with her quiet strength and compassion, and a depth of trauma that she struggles to let anyone see. Kellen took me longer to warm to - he is arguably more flawed, and that particular brand of impulsive stubbornness that I can often find irritating - but he grew on me too, and I loved the way they balanced each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Some of the themes here are things Hardinge has explored before - it touches on power and injustice, family, and what it means to be human and live in a society. But this book is in large part concerned with trauma: the things that anger and hurt can push people to, and how different people can react differently to the same emotions; and what it means to heal and forgive. It’s dark and it’s heartbreaking, but it’s also beautiful.

The curse eggs… they’re meant as gifts. A way for the powerless to hold their persecutors to account. So they find those who are filled with anger, pain and a deep sense of grievance, and they give them the weapon they need to strike back. But … just because somebody feels wronged, that doesn’t mean they are.

Nothing I can say will do justice to the beauty and creativity of this book (see aforementioned incoherence). For those who are familiar with Frances Hardinge, I’d probably compare this most closely with Verdigris Deep and Gullstruck Island, and tell you to absolutely go and read this as soon as possible! If you’re new to her work, all I can do is to recommend her as strongly as possible (though with that said, I wouldn’t necessarily suggest this book as the place to start - Verdigris Deep is my usual recommendation for Hardinge beginners, then come back!)

Content Warnings

More...