Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

14 reviews

huonekasvis's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Body horror, Violence, and Grief

jainabee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.75

I got this in the Banned Books Box subscription and was curious to read something totally new to me. Had a hard time putting it down and now am hungry for more! The story twists and turns in ways that startled me and I gave up trying to predict anything about the characters. How refreshing! And lovely writing. A pleasure to read and I'm so glad there's more!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

Considering all of the challenging content in the book, it is all handled in a way that I could tolerate (I am somewhat squeamish) and I did not feel personally triggered. I have no problem with putting a book down if the violence is too graphic or gory for my tastes or if the cruelty and abuse goes beyond a brief explicit detail.

sapphic_in_the_stacks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Though slow to start, once the book begins to pick up it grabs your attention and holds it until the end. Finale of the book leaves many things unresolved, leaving you wanting more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Murder, War, and Classism

Minor: Cannibalism

strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-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

3.0

The beginning wasn’t very interesting but then the middle got better. I was getting excited to read the second one until the very last line. That last line made me so very angry, however I still need to read the second book to see what happens with said last line. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Body horror and Sexual content

Minor: Child abuse

nicnevin's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.0

So this is the first book I've read from this author and its... Alright? I found the ending quite... Abrupt and the worldbuilding is a little slapdash however I realise that this is already set in a world from other books she wrote. 

Sid and Nirrim are a cute couple but I don't know how it ends. I guess leaving the book on such an abrupt ending ticked me off because it felt like a lot of build up for not much pay off bit I suppose that's why is more than one book. 

the magic blood reveal was pretty obvious so it annoyed me it took everyone so long to figure it out. Also shouldnt diluted blood be a yellowy orange colour? Maybe magic blood hits different idk

Don't get me wrong, the book is okay but just didn't gel with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bonnienoire's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content

orchidd's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

i had trouble with the beginning of the book because i am tired of reading narratives where the butch girl makes someone realize they like women, and i am also tired of reading narratives where the person is struggling with internalized homophobia as a plot point to pace the romance. i did really enjoy the middle with the descriptions of the magic and the parties and their blooming relationship, but the ending felt abrupt and incomplete. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

sarahna's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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: Body horror, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Classism

belreadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent

erynpaige's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence