Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

14 reviews

gellyreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

So, I really enjoyed the protagonist and I found most of the story pretty entertaining and I was drawn in. However, the horror felt really meh to me and I really didn't believe the love story at all

Spoiler

I know the point to a certain extent is that she may or may not genuinely care for the MC, but then even when they have her beg for her to leave, I genuinely felt like she didn't try very hard. Like. I just didn't buy this romance at all.

I just wanted to care more for the characters than I did? This felt too fake old-timey, Dickensian for me, and I just struggled to connect with it. Although, this was a weird version of vampries that I also really have mixed feelings about. Like, I like the class dynamics, but why can't they actually bite? Why is the blood powers not clear? Why is it only the north? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

bookycnidaria's review against another edition

dark fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Addiction, Blood, Gaslighting, Murder, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Classism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Toxic relationship

scifi_rat's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Blood

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Classism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse, Animal death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Pedophilia

sproutedpages's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Drug use, Confinement, Blood, Gore, Death, Murder, Self harm, Trafficking, Child abuse, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cannibalism, Slavery, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Addiction

m_lee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Vomit, Slavery, Torture, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Classism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Violence, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Cursing, Incest, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Pedophilia

mooshake's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Self harm, Gore, and Addiction

Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

kace's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Trafficking, Blood, Gore, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Sexual content, Slavery, and Self harm

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Body horror, and Child abuse

lovelymisanthrope's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

I picked up this book because it was the November selection for The Literally Dead Book Club.
"House of Hunger" follows Marion, a young woman who is struggling in poverty when she comes across an ad for a bloodmaid. Feeling desperate and enticed by the prospect of the fortunes she could receive; Marion decides to apply and take charge of her awful life. To her pleasure she is selected and whisked away to a wealthy woman's estate to serve as a bloodmaid. But Marion quickly discovers that this beautiful life is not easy, and she may have bitten off more than she can handle.
This story was haunting, gothic, and beautiful. This book is perfect to read in October/November because the setting is so creepy, and this vampiric story will suck you in. I loved all of the details of setting we got throughout the story and the ornate details about the characters, especially the other bloodmaids.
I really felt for Marion and was really pulling for her. Coming from the slums with deceased parents and an abusive brother has shown Marion the absolute worst life has to offer. She could have let that defeat her, but she worked hard and took chances to better herself. Even once she became a bloodmaid, she still struggled to fit in with the other bloodmaids. Some of them were nasty and cruel to her, but she still worked to be her best.
This story was incredible, and I cannot wait to pick up more from Alexis Henderson. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Blood, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Classism, and Death

Moderate: Drug use and Death of parent

costellar's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Drug use, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Gore

bootsmom3's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Gore

Minor: Death of parent and Death