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slimepuppy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I could write thousands of words about how this book draws incredible parallels between the Gonnes' suffering and cycles of abuse, about the the engaging mystery and the sad, tragic stories we carry through our lives, how we become tethered to them.
We should all try to tell it different, and I think Small Angels does it beautifully.
We should all try to tell it different, and I think Small Angels does it beautifully.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship
blackcatkai's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-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
this book is a slow burn full of atmosphere. a story of legends, family, friendship, & toxic relationships. a forest with its own spirit & secrets & I loved every minute of it. it had creepy vibes, a little romance, and an ending that had me a bit emotional. I would love to see this adapted into a film or mini-series.
I will absolutely be reading more of Lauren Owen's work.
I will absolutely be reading more of Lauren Owen's work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
bigheartedbibliophile's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
- Summary: 💔💘🤯🕵🏻♀️☠
- SPOILERS
- It was pretty slow to start, but the last 100-150 pages were so interesting and captivating! I wish the beginning was more interesting. I’m sure a lot of people gave up on this book because of that, and it is quite long.
- I enjoyed the different perspectives throughout the story, and how the full mystery of Harry isn’t explained right away.
- The whole thing about a wedding is odd, but I guess it makes sense why they are back in Sam’s hometown.
- The woods of Mockbeggar are magical but can be dangerous if you aren’t careful...
- This story has love, sisterhood, haunting, wedding, death, lgbtq+, and so much more.
- I do recommend this story, because it is an interesting plot and mystery, and it’s worth getting through the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
exlibrisabigaillee's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-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
3.5
The lesson didn't stick with me as well as I thought it would. The characters were likable enough, I just didn't resonate with them super well. The story was very fun though, and I enjoyed the world!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Lesbophobia
One of the main families, the Gones, is very strict and emotionally abusive throughout the novel. One of the daughters finds solace with a friend who is very controlling and possessive. The Gones are in leagues with a spirit, of sorts, whofalonmansfield's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
torturedreadersdept's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Torture, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
mandkips's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Car accident
debussy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Wound up being too slow, too bound in extraneous detail to be interesting, with a plot that was too simple for the amount of drama it commanded. POV characters sounded too similar to one another, and the writing was pretentious when it wasn’t dull. Ultimately not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship
lovelymisanthrope's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
2.5
I picked this book as a Book of the Month pick because it sounded like a gothic mystery about a small town with big secrets.
"Small Angels" follows a young girl named Kate who finds solace in the abandoned church in the forest: Small Angels. Kate is the first person to become close to the family whose secret Small Angels hides. Now, Kate has returned to the small town for the first time in years and the forest has come alive again and is demanding to be heard.
The writing in this novel is amazing. The author's ability to compose prose that is gothic and hauntingly beautiful is admirable. However, this book was paced too slowly for me as a reader. The writing itself can also feel dense at times, which made me disconnect from the characters. By the time the story picked up and some of the mysteries were revealed, I was so bored I did not care.
This book is well-written, but it was not for me.
"Small Angels" follows a young girl named Kate who finds solace in the abandoned church in the forest: Small Angels. Kate is the first person to become close to the family whose secret Small Angels hides. Now, Kate has returned to the small town for the first time in years and the forest has come alive again and is demanding to be heard.
The writing in this novel is amazing. The author's ability to compose prose that is gothic and hauntingly beautiful is admirable. However, this book was paced too slowly for me as a reader. The writing itself can also feel dense at times, which made me disconnect from the characters. By the time the story picked up and some of the mysteries were revealed, I was so bored I did not care.
This book is well-written, but it was not for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, and Murder
beckyg1016's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder