Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

8 reviews

steen19's review against another edition

funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

I’m not sure, this one just felt like it was lacking that tension and cheekiness of Lauren’s writing style. I was expecting more to happen prior to when Adena gets summoned to work at the castle. It just felt a little hollow to me. 

I bawled at the end of Powerless. I felt disconnected in the lead up of Powerful. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Death, and Blood

sweetteaandfiction's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Powerful by @laurenrobertslibrary had me screaming and crying and almost throwing my phone across the room. 

This novella manages to be darker and much more intense than Powerless. 

PROS: 
🪡The people who love the people in the arena 
🩸A different form of hiding in plain sight 
🪡Under appreciated talent 
🩸Power doesn’t save you from poverty 
🪡Enemies to Friends to Lovers 

CONS: 
🩸The King, but make my rage about 200X worse 
🪡Never getting to say goodbye 
🩸Love cut short 
🪡The fact I became so invested when I already knew what was coming. 

🥮🥮🥮🥮🥮 out of 5 sticky honey cakes 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body horror

sammymilfort's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Sexual harassment

emilywemily6's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.0

I genuinely liked reading this novella,  but not as much as Powerless. I didn’t connect with the characters as well, and it took a bit longer than I expected to get behind their relationship; opposites attract is kind of hard to write well in such a short story in my opinion. But I was thoroughly invested and devastated by the ending. The author has some beautiful writing that is still easy to understand and feel. I wish there was less focus on the romance and more plot though- I would have loved to see the interaction between Adena and the king, or to hear more about the common people and their opinion of the Trials. If Mak isn’t reintroduced later in the series I’ll riot. This was his rebel origin story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Torture, Violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Ableism

thebankofbooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

lakinglaze's review

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.5

I enjoyed getting to know Adena more and see how she was spending her time during the trails. The chapters around her death were heartbreaking and beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

literary_laur's review against another edition

emotional sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Murder

readwithsophsx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail