Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

71 reviews

queerbookworm's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is so emotional and thought provoking. I'm writing this review just after finishing reading so I haven't really sat with it for long but I thought it was beautiful. A lot happens in this book, Ariadne is from a family with quite a few associated myths, and even though I have read all of them several times it felt brand new. 

This book focuses on two perspectives not often cared for in Greek mythology, that of humans and that of women. If you are a fan of these myths I can guarantee that this book will at least change how you think about the myths recounted in this book, but it may change how you view Greek mythology as a whole. I wholeheartedly recommend it. It is beautiful written and, if you're an audiobook listener, the narrator does a fantastic job of making you feel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, and Blood

Nothing that you wouldn't get out of a regular Greek mythology book

emoryjoy's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I would like to give the caveat that I was listening to this as an audiobook and had it at double speed by the end. This quite nearly was a DNF. 

I'm not sure if the story took liberties with the myth or was just much more in depth than I knew about. Either way, it absolutely nailed the Greek Tragedy vibe and was gruesome in that very specific way that myths often are. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

thalia16's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Confinement, Infidelity, Rape, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content

bxnny's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Stalking and Death of parent

kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I sobbed a lot and loved it. Loving learning about all the women in mythology.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

isaaah's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Infidelity, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Confinement, Incest, Slavery, Colonisation, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kalliopekat's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I have loved the Greek stories my entire life. As a woman who is currently examing the place of women in history, a Greek tale from a woman's point of view that was sitting on a shelf in my library intrigued me enough to check it out and I was not disappointed in my choice. 
Still a young girl, Ariadne watches what happens to her mother and wonders if she, too, will one day become a victim in a game between the gods and men. She is a lucid narrator who leaves the reader sympathic to not only her own story, but the stories of many other women in the book, from the first page to the last. This tale of courage, love, motherhood, heartbreak, and the ever-fickle gods is just what the Greek stories were lacking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Infidelity, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Rape and War

idk_indigo's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This book took me a really long time to read. It wasn't bad, and I quite enjoyed it when I was able to read for stretches of time. The pacing was all over the place, the first 1/4 felt alright, then the 2nd 1/4 was so slow I thought I might never finish it, then the 3rd 1/4 picked up, then the last few chapters I sort of just checked out. I think the author took "show not tell" to the extreme but instead of showing us or telling us she did neither. I was very confused at times, but also I am partially chalking that up to the fact that, again, it took me a really long time to read. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

mirandahems's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

most of the book is people telling stories to ariadne, you don’t see much of the action. i feel like i personally went through a terrible break up by the end of this. overall a good story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

amyiris's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis