Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

191 reviews

blanxx_2102's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Rape, Suicide, Blood, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child death and Incest

underwaterlauren's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

3.75

cowabummer.

JK. (Well, not jk, this book is actually very sad, but I digress.) This book was really good! The writing was spectacular, and I loved the weight Saint was able to put into her writing. That being said, I had a few problems it.
 I think my biggest problem with the book is how I feel like the Minotaur wasn’t explored fully; I feel as though the writing was setting up for Ariadne to explore her feelings about her brother, and how she felt about Theseus killing him, or anything like that, because it is alluded to briefly that she does have some mixed emotions regarding her brother. I just felt like that was really glossed over, and it bugged me for the rest of the novel. Overall, I did feel that way for a lot of things regarding this novel: I feel like a lot of things were glossed over when they should have been expanded, and a lot of things were expanded when they should have been glossed over. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, and Abandonment

kfergy's review against another edition

dark relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

Enjoyable read - definitely a good fit for those familiar with Greek mythology and always wanted a bit more context to the parables. Good reflection upon traditional femininity and independence, though the ending doesn't necessarily leave you inspired (it's not supposed to) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Suicide, Pregnancy, and War

aliyahoff's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Mental illness and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Murder, and War

ellamycroft's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Incest, Blood, and Abandonment

hannicherri's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I really loved this book. I enjoyed hearing about Greek mythology from the female perspective. Women suffering for the passions of men is such an eternal problem, so the topic feels applicable today even though the context of the problems they are facing is ancient/mythological. My only critique of the book is that it tried to fit a lot of myths in just a few hundred pages, and I occasionally felt confused or overwhelmed by the backstories. Another warning is that there are a couple instances of extreme violence against women & children. It’s worth knowing that before going into the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and Abandonment

Minor: War

femicide and infanticide< /spoiler>

caroline_123's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

men love to hurt women!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Rape, Suicide, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment

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

nicolewhopickedthisbook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

I honestly don’t know how to rate this book. Was this book good? Well… yes. The writing was great. Was anything that happened in this book a surprise? No, not at all. I didn’t think this book would have a happy ending. Did I want a “retelling” that was exactly the same as Greek mythology? No. Like the Greek tragedies that inspired it, countless women fall victim to the whims of men, human and god alike, and they are helpless to break the generational cycle. I feel that retellings are a chance to give these women a different, better ending and this did not deliver. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War

saskiajva's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Definitely read content warnings for this! This book was odd. I felt like it spent a lot of time detailing unimportant things and then sailed through important bits i  wish had been more detailed, so it’s hard to say if not much happens or if a lot happened. Ariadne is a timid, fretful character which was frustrating and hard to like or relate to at times. The ending is one of the darkest things I’ve ever read, but isn’t given too much detail so it loses some punch there which is not a bad thing. I wanted to love this book, but it isn’t my thing. But I can see why others like it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and War