Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

12 reviews

kirtreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I am still not 100% sure how I feel about this book a couple weeks later. It started off so strong, and I really liked it. Then we had a plot twist and the plot kind of stalled for a bit. Then it got going again and we had another plot twist that I didn't love. It was hard to imagine that this character was the "chosen one" in a cult and knew as little as she did. It was hard for me to believe. 

I really like Rachel Harrison's writing and I think that she creates great characters, and unique settings for her novels. I think how she takes expected tropes and turns them on their head, I just don't think that this one landed for me. The writing was solid, the characters were all unique and brought something to the table, I just didn't love the second half. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder

kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

A fast read regarding growing into adulthood, family vs. the individual, and faith-based struggles. I loved how the author had us in the dark with the MC for most of the book. Added lots of suspense and needed tension. Ate this book up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

kylieqrada's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Rachel Harrison strikes the perfect balance between darkly humorous and creepy as hell. 👏

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

mariiieeeeeesa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

Dead dove don't eat 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Eating disorder

Dead dove don't eat

ctara2123's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Eating disorder

anissawren's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, and Religious bigotry

madelinequinnee's review against another edition

emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

This was a fun read, but kind of predictable

I guessed that Satan was Vesper’s father a few chapters before the reveal, and I then again guessed she was going to be sacrificed at the end

However, this was still a fun read, and I think anyone looking into getting into horror, this would be a good start! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

tiddlerrr's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I bought this book on a whim to keep me occupied for an afternoon train journey, which it succeeded in doing. However, I think it struggles to decide whether it is a comedy-horror or not, and personally I didn’t find it particularly scary/horrifying. After going into this blind about anything that happened I do think that’s the best way to experience it, as it is VERY predictable in places. The MC is also not likeable and I don’t think she is meant to be, however all of the progression/development/action seems to happen at the end whereas the first two thirds are largely filler. It was a decent read and kept me occupied for an afternoon, but I don’t think I’d ever read it again.

I do also think the satanic cult “twist” was a bit overdone and would have been scarier if it was a Christian cult or something else entirely. Lucifer being her absent father felt very tropey, and as a someone who is normally lover of tropes, I mean that in a bad way.

I also didn’t really understand the point of the epilogue, the whole thing just kind of…ends.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Sexual harassment

melsuke's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Cannibalism

Minor: Eating disorder

plumdustsuns's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

I wished the section after she left the wedding was a bit grander. The epilogue felt a little… baseless. I wish the ending birthday party and all of that got more focus and time, especially with the family and Constance than the middle part after the wedding which meandered and wasn’t quite exciting to read. I almost wish she didn’t ‘leave’ the first time and all she found out about herself and not being loved by the family was set in the farm with the members. Her being the antichrist didn’t feel like it had weight or consequences until the party and maybe her going off on Kerri and George but I feel those moments would have had more effect if it was with Brody and Rosie instead of them just falling. Her realization of her power would have held more weight for her and the readers. I just feel like she the book had a lot more potential than what it came to by the end and overall. Had her life outside of the farm held more weight or been more ‘exciting’ to return to after the wedding, it would have made the middle section better and made me want to not stop reading. 
I wish we get a prequel on Constance. Intriguing. 
Also don’t know what I feel about the devil being so powerless against Vesper’s tantrum and powers on earth. Wish that was explored more as to why he needed her teeth and hair to walk on earth. Once again, more time with him and in the farm would have solved that. 
But the book had solid parts and I didn’t put it down long enough to stop reading it. Enjoyable but yes, I wish there was a bit more because the buildup to the climax didn’t feel like it had much emotional weight by then although it did.

Also what do you mean the devil wrote on an invitation with a black SHARPIE? A SHARPIE?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol