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Reviews tagging 'Self harm'
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
5 reviews
iris_lrf's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
To speak of this book without praising Sara Kipin's glorious illustrations would be a crime of the highest order. With every turn of the page, the margins bloom with colour, coming further and further to life. I would often catch myself skipping ahead for a glimpse of the final picture, only held back by the spoilers it would contain. Kipin's bright and bold work brings these stories, their characters and the setting to a new level.
Whether you're new to the Grishaverse or long-time fan, this book is a must-read for all. Its beautiful pages and enthralling tales shed spectacular light on a world of powerful sorcerers and terrible monsters.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, and Classism
bookishfads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
I enjoyed this book so much I actually read it as slowly as possible so I can properly savor it. Some would say that's the intended way of reading. Leigh Bardugo has a modern approach to fairy tales - in a good way, although they sometimes come across as almost cringe-inducingly feminist (and I say this as a woman). However, a few "gatekeep-girlboss" moments here and there don't take away from the depth of her characters, the twists of her plot and the poetry in her prose - all in a very limited format of a fairy tale.
I loved the moments of female rage, something that is hardly noted in traditional stories. Fairy tales sometimes romanticize very... questionable behaviors and it's nice to see some typical tropes subverted and exploration of healthy vs toxic relationships. That being said, I do sometimes get weary of writers trying to "fix" folktales and overthinking and misunderstanding them (Cinderella being the best example). I had fun with this book, so I'd say Leigh Bardugo did it well. She goes for a more Andersen approach, where the story isn't like an oral folktale, but longer, more elaborate, with deeper characterization.
Bardugo may sometimes get into too much detail, with names of places and whatnot - this is probably to keep us in the Grishaverse, though we're not there, but in their stories. I understand why she and her publisher may have wanted this, but I think it limits the book quite a bit and the cameo of that one character isn't worth it. I guess it's cool to have a fictional world's anthology, but it hardly expands upon anything. So for my fellow Grishaverse fans who aren't too into fairy tales - just look up what happens. For people who love fairy tales but haven't seen/read anything about the Grishaverse - you may be confused at times, but I believe in you. For those who are into both - just read it already!
I understand people who gave it five stars, but certain moments took it down for me, plus the cameo and grisha-bait.
Me being shallow: the cover and the art are just gorgeous! The two-color palette made for a more clever result. I love the idea of the slowly forming margin, so each new page reveals more of the story, like a cheeky little spoiler right before you read it. The final illustration always a delight. I would love to see more books that go for the thorn/rose aesthetic and if they do, this book will be the bar they have to reach. I remembered how this was the first book of LB that captured my attention when I was at a bookstore: "the Six of Crows woman wrote fairy tales!"
Spoiler below for the cameo criticism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Since these are fairy tales written in a very brief style, nothing goes into too much detail, although the writing is so emotional and impactful, sometimes these brief mentions can be upsetting enough on their own, so bear that in mind.wrinnola's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Self harm, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
anielabooks's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and War
emily_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Blood, Medical content, and Cannibalism
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War