Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

27 reviews

lucystolethesky's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Classism, Bullying, Animal death, and Gore

Minor: Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Bullying, Body horror, Islamophobia, and Cultural appropriation

hzamrzla's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

While I loved the world of this book and the possibilities it presented, the story itself was weirdly paced. I felt like it spent a LOT of time building up to a major, menacing reveal, and then the climax was told with the same weight as the rest of the story, the ending felt abrupt and jarring, and overall, it just seemed like a lot of buildup for not much payoff. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Bullying and Violence

Minor: Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Emotional abuse

One scene is not a sexual assault, but a pretty blatant sexual assault parallel. It was the only thing in the book that really gave me pause.

mycology's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

4.5

Overall this was a fantastic read. I really had fun with it and it was a great choice for getting back into the habit of reading.

Positives:

• El is a well rounded character who is easy for the reader to like despite her being disliked by other characters.
• The premise and plot is enjoyable and easy to get hooked into.
• The worldbuilding is fantastic. It’s woven into the text so well it never feels like slogging through pages and pages of lore.
• It’s funny at times without taking away from the atmosphere.
• A great stepping point between YA and adult fantasy

Negatives (nit-picking here, the book was great)

• I dislike El’s relationship with Orion towards the end.
  Spoiler

  It feels forced to me that she’s starting to have feelings for him already. Or, at all for that matter. They just don’t seem compatible to me. Also, small point, but El mentions wanting kids badly at one point, which feels so out of character for her. Maybe later depending on how she’s developed, but it just didn’t seem right to me.<\spoiler>
• I desperately wish there was any queer rep at all

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Murder, and Vomit

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Grief

malley's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Bullying, Death, Child death, Classism, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Toxic friendship

magnumdanger's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Classism

applezing's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, Bullying, Murder, Pregnancy, Animal death, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, and Violence

ingi's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Racism

rubyroses's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book has been described as: Harry Potter (if the school was sentient & trying to kill the students). In my opinion this couldn’t be further from the truth and overall undersells the premise. Yes, okay… sure. The book contains wizards and a magical school but that’s where the similarities end. Deadly Education is it’s own entity. 

If you are someone that enjoys a good slow burn then I think you’ll enjoy the romantic dynamic of this book. If your someone that avoids romance then I think you could potentially enjoy this book too. Romance is definitely a theme  but it plays such an underwhelming small role that it’s easy to forget it’s even there. 

This book’s main focus is its kick ass OP female protagonist & the friends she makes along the way. That’s it’s selling point !! Overall it was a really enjoyable novel and the magical world building was unique. 

Spoiler

Whilst the book is quite diverse with its range of characters from different backgrounds… I wish there was more discussed about El’s. Like sure it’s mentioned briefly but not really explored at all. I get it’s not a focus of the book but would of been nice.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death

bookcasey's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

If you enjoy magical, dark academia like Atlas Six, you’ll enjoy this one, aimed at a YA audience. That doesn’t mean the themes aren’t dark — what do you do when your school is constantly trying to kill you? But the cast is lovable, and the book keeps you guessing, a great pick for the darker seasons. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Animal cruelty

cdt96's review against another edition

adventurous funny 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Animal cruelty, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Violence, Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Child death, and Murder