Reviews tagging 'Incest'

The Carnivale of Curiosities by Amiee Gibbs

12 reviews

librarymouse's review

dark reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

I came into this wanting something similar to The Night Circus. While this didn't quite live up to expectations, I did enjoy the read. The ending felt somewhat disconnected from  the rest of the novel - unrealistic in the context of the reality the novel sets up for us as readers, and at points it felt as if there wasn't enough page time allowed for readers to come to care for the characters in any deeper way. 

The incestuous rape plotline was unexpected and added to the treachery in disgusting and interesting ways. I would have preferred the novel be more of a character study than ending with Charlotte as a zombified avenging angel, working for a devil, but readers (beggars) can't be choosers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement and Infidelity

littlelizzieborden's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Gun violence, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Stalking, and Gaslighting

freshaircure's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

kristengilmore84's review

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Murder

Moderate: Incest

Minor: Cancer, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

bzliz's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

Before embarking on this book, take care in reviewing the content warnings. If you still want to read it, be prepared for the first 50% to move at a glacial pace. Once I made it past that point, much of it made sense as establishing points for the characters, but it went on for so long that I seriously considered DNFing. 

Aurelius Ashe runs the Carnivale of Curiousities but behind the scenes he can make most wishes come true, for a price. The performers of the Carnivale are a little hodgepodge of quirky characters who’ve come together as a found family. Odilon Rose is a powerful man in his own right whose ward- Charlotte- is dying. Given that he enjoys assaulting her nightly, her death would be unacceptable, so he engages Ashe’s services to save Charlotte’s life, but the consequences could be severe. 

So many bad things happen in this book that I couldn’t possibly list them all. It is well written (a little overwritten, honestly) but I cannot forgive how slow the first half is. The focus changes so frequently that it can be hard to keep track of where we are and the people involved in the scene are often concealed until we’re being moved away which makes every chapter have multiple cliffhangers. I would only recommend this to someone if they asked for the grimmest book without any actual on page assault/murder. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Infidelity, and Classism

A note about incest & rape/sexual assault:

Charlotte suffers regular assault at the hands of Odilon. It is not on page itself but is referenced several times including feelings of deep shame from Charlotte, not-so-veiled allusions to actions he would take while assaulting her, strong evidence that his behavior was not only known but tolerated or even encouraged by his mother, overt reminders from him that it doesn’t matter if she locks her door, the beginning steps of an assault before fading to black, and more. Clues are laid throughout but in the end we are explicitly told that Charlotte is Odilon’s half sister, a fact known to both him and their sister Florence, plus their now late mother. All three delighted in her suffering.

melodious16's review

dark slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest and Rape

gondorgirl's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

kmartbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

"The Carnivale of Curiosities" by Amiee Gibbs is a gothic tale that transports readers to the enchanting world of a Victorian London circus. I found that the prose was elegant and evocative, painting vivid imagery of the Carnivale of Curiosities and its intriguing cast of characters, some might find it pretentious.

Speaking of characters, the ensemble in this story is both fascinating and complex. While the main characters may share the spotlight a bit too much, it is the surrounding cast that adds depth and layers to the narrative. The found family dynamic within the circus is heartwarming, showcasing the bonds of loyalty and support amidst the darkness that surrounds them. The author explores the consequences of Faustian bargains and the price one pays for fulfilling their desires in an intriguing way. Another aspect that stood out was the tangled history that connects the characters. Horrific secrets gradually come to light, adding layers of complexity to their relationships. 

This is an enchanting read that will captivate fans of Victorian-era settings and mysterious circuses. It masterfully blends dark themes with beautiful prose, creating an atmospheric tale that lingers. With its compelling characters, tangled history, and a touch of magic, this novel offers a mesmerizing journey that is both thrilling and deeply uncomfortable at times.

Thank you to libro.fm, Netgalley, and the publisher for an eARC. This is an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Incest and Sexual assault

gidgetdraws's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

lillygrl9013's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Incest, Infidelity, Rape, Death of parent, and Classism