Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

6 reviews

just_jess02's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

What a charming, whimsical, cozy read. It held just enough adventure and magic to hold my attention, great characters, and good world building. The historical context and lore was surface level but it really didn’t need to go any deeper to tell this story well. 

I really enjoyed the balance of “bookish” ideas to the characters and plot. The themes and tropes are very obvious… but it’s not so in-your-face and cheesy to take away from the story. I found the transparent nature of the themes to push the story along smoothly and easily. 

I’m excited to read the rest of the series. This book felt like a rich foundation that hopefully will open up into more complex, deep plot/relationships. 

While I loved this story, it wasn’t one that really meant anything to me. It was like a sweet bedtime story almost. I like a book to follow me around once I finish it. I want to reflect, to slowly untangle my mind from the stories’ grasp. This is the only reason I am not giving it five stars. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

iris_lrf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.75

This is probably at least the fifth time I've read this book, and every time has been a delight from start to finish. Hackwith's beautiful style and well-rounded characters create an emotional roller coaster of love, heartbreak, redemption and family. Even with only two actual humans, all of the protagonists feel uniquely human in their own distinct ways, and it's impossible not to fall in love with the cranky old librarian or her anxious upstart assistants. 

Like any good story about stories, The Library of the Unwritten plays with the concept of the roles we play, both by choice and by force, and what happens when those roles no longer suit us. Villains become heroes, sidekicks become leaders, guardians become caretakers. The stories we tell change, and those we lock away are brought back into the light. 

It's not without its flaws, but what book isn't? Sure, there's some plot armour moments, but surely they're counteracted by

Leto literally being unmade or Hero getting frequently beaten within an inch of his life

. Sure, the ending is a little lacking, but with two more books to go, it isn't really the ending, is it?

I recently got the rest of the trilogy and I'm excited to see where the story goes from here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Self harm, Kidnapping, and War

bookcaptivated's review

adventurous dark funny tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicide

Minor: Misogyny and Sexism

booksthatburn's review against another edition

adventurous reflective sad 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

3.0

I find myself feeling neutral about this book, and I'm not precisely sure why. The worldbuilding was interesting, the characters worked well, and I liked where it ended up. The audiobook narrator is excellent, they're definitely why I kept reading even though I was feeling meh about the book itself. My hesitance may be because the entire plot relies on a miscommunication early on in a way that made the rest of the story, while frequently engaging, feel a bit pointless. The conversation was artfully arranged to allow for the precise misunderstanding necessary to kick off everything else, and then the characters' stubbornness fuels the rest of the story. It's a well-constructed instance of a trope I dislike, and as much as I can tell it's done well, I still didn't like it. Since this trope is unlikely to fuel the plot twice in the series, I'll probably check out the sequel. I love Leto's story, he's definitely my favorite character, if I read more it'll be to find out what happens with him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Grief

Moderate: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Ableism and Self harm

ava_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

3.75

It was just too slow for me to give it a higher rating 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Blood

Moderate: Gore, Suicide, and Grief

angelbabe_cj's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death and Suicide

Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship