Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Viúva de Ferro by Xiran Jay Zhao

51 reviews

xapoptosisx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book deserves way more than 5 fucking stars genuinely like it deserves everything. I genuinely have am left speechless after reading it it was so so amazing and I just encourage everyone to read it at once.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction and Alcohol

cathwolfiereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexism, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

mlllll's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious relaxing sad 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? No

4.25

I really enjoyed The Iron Widow. It was compelling enough to keep me entertained as a reader throughout the story and to entice me enough to read the sequel. I do think the latter half of the book is a bit rushed.

Someone else wrote how the writer didn't add any measurements of time so it's hard to fall in love with the relationships portrayed because you don't know how slow or fast they developed and I do agree with that criticism. If time measurements would have been given, it would have helped make the relationships more believable.

That said, Zhao manages to create really loveable characters who you want to root for even though they aren't the most morally just ones and as someone who usually sticks to the morally white ones, it was interesting to see how I loved the characters that weren't morally white.

 

Lastly, Zhao created an amazing love triangle, honestly. One that developed very naturally and, in my opinion, wasn't written in a fetishizing way, which is often the case when polyamory is involved, unfortunately. This was also the first YA novel or novel in general that I read that included a poly throuple because it's still really underrepresented, so a shout-out to the Zhao for including that as well. 

So all in all, this wasn't a perfect book but I did really enjoy the romance aspect of it, which I never in a million years thought I'd say about a "love triangle" cuz I hate those. The latter part was a bit too rushed but overall I loved, loved, loved the enormous fury that the main protagonist has. Is it a healthy way to cope ... I'll leave that  up to interpretation but as a woman, her fury is so recognizable. It's this all-consuming feeling sometimes that always has to be kept under lock and key but she lets it out instead. And I freaking loved it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

souriete's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring tense fast-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

5.0

This book is  one that I should not like, yet I loved it. I prefer humorous or at least light-hearted relaxing reading. This is dark and full of anger and violence, some of the violence perpetrated by the main character. But I totally understand the anger the main character feels, and instead of letting that anger eat at her internally, she does something effective with that anger, starting with avenging the death of her sister. She does some pretty morally reprehensible things, but her victims are instruments of a system that systematically destroys all women within it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

alphabetmafiamember's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

emilysreadingbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia

jjjreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, and Rape

zeppelinnyx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

4.50

I very much enjoyed this book, even the second time through. I’m very much anticipating the sequel. The polyamorous romance almost makes me sad that I can’t get that kind of relationship dynamic in mainstream media. Zetian is such an amazing protagonist. It’s refreshing to see a justifiably unhinged female (non-binary?) lead. The pacing is a bit fast, but then the ending is even more so, which makes it feel rushed. 

Quality of Writing: 9/10
Pacing: 8/10
Plot Development: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyability: 10/10
Ease of Reading: 10/10
Ending: 7/10

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Kidnapping and Classism

Minor: Homophobia

voidboy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Trafficking

Moderate: Chronic illness