Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

11 reviews

pianokeys's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

noellegrace8's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

It took me about 25% of the way through to start truly enjoying this book. Because it takes the path of a slow reveal of situations and motivations, the beginning groundwork can be almost frustrating because you don't know why some people are acting the way that they are. Also, for a book with so much death and otherwise adult themes, the characters and the writing style both are a bit juvenile at times. I struggled at first with the incongruency of a lack of contractions in dialogue mixed with colloquialisms like "that sucks," but I eventually got used to it and do recognize that it makes sense given the setting. I also really hate first person present tense because it feels overdramatic and impractical, and this book uses it throughout.

That being said, I really like the main characters. Some of the side characters are a bit flat, but Jude, Cardan, Maddoc, Vivvie, Dain, Taryn, Oriana... none of them are "good" or "bad." They just are. They make decisions, they have instincts and natures that make those decisions difficult. I love the complexity! I also think this book set up a series (trilogy) well, so I'm hoping to like the next two even more! The worldbulding is awesome. Holly Black has created a very interesting mix of "fae" and "mortal," complete with rich history and quirks and physical descriptions.

I don't factor audiobook reader into my overal star rating, but I give Caitlyn Kelly 3.5/5⭐️. Honestly, I think she was part of the reason I struggled to get into this book, but there's no telling for certain. She oftentimes doesn't seem to read with the same cadence that the words on the page suggest. She also has a cheesy tone when voicing male characters and over-acts when it comes to emotional (and even sometimes non-emotional!) scenes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Excrement, Grief, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and War

dilara2912w's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

aya_h's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Jude + Cardan = ❤️❤️❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

druzyquartz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny relaxing sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Incest, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and War

jonsnowsmanbun's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Physical abuse and Self harm

sirkeili's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

This book started off in a way I've never seen books do before, in that the first chapter was a singular sentence. I was intrigued by how this story followed the old faerie tales style, dark and mysterious, but full of wit and charm. 

What broke my heart was Jude putting herself through hell, either in hopes to come out on top or to die in the process, because she felt she had no place in either world.  She doesn't care for her humanity, rather she hopes to rid herself of it one way or another. 

I do hope she gets what she is owed in the end; revenge against the man who slaughtered her family for the sake of his pride, and to put Locke in his place. I hope her plan to protect Oak works, and even if he doesn't become king, he realizes the sacrifices she made for him.

This book subtly made me fall back in love with faerie tales, the ones who's ending is ambiguous and who's story unravels slowly and yet all at once.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

elisask's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts

ali_debookness's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and War

darkravenz's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Suicidal thoughts