Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

99 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

tommelisesofia's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

tayrayhay's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Blood

Moderate: Animal death and Cannibalism

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

The middle section after the first major event of the book is a bit clumsy in structure, but this book is still a hell of a fun ride with sardonic wit, great horror, and a great reminder that you can break toxic familial cycles. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

Be warned that this book deals with familial dysfunction, estranged relationships between mother and daughter, Satanism, cults, PTSD from familial trauma, bad work environments, the nature versus nurture argument, and descriptions of hellfire and brimstone.

katlinstirling_reads's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Bit strange, I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it. Felt a bit predictable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death and Cannibalism

bb_11's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

I was routinely shocked at how the author managed to make such an interesting topic so trite and bland. Whenever the chance for an interesting development occured, she always seemed to pick the biggest and most entirely predictable cliche possible.  If this was their intention and they sought to replicate the air of cheesy horror that is an often discussed theme of the book, they still managed to make it as watered down as possible at every chance.  Must read if your favorite books are the ones you can guess the plot twists in by the 1/4 mark.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol

sful40's review against another edition

dark funny 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

3.0

I would 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Violence, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Stalking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Toxic friendship