Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis

11 reviews

minniestronni's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

joy_kba's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

3.5

3,5 stars - Short review: I wish I read this book in October bcs the season/setting would have matched the book's. I liked the paranormal aspect and the power Katrell (protagonist) has. Despite all the trauma, I'm still willing to rate this 3,5 stars bcs of the topics and experiences mentioned as Katrell has to make decisions to not end up in poverty

Spoiler

or in foster care

.

Long(er) review: Okay... I read this book bcs of a YouTuber who wanted to read it. It is described as BGM (Black Girl magic) and the YouTuber said that the author sent it to her, who said that there is "no trauma" in this book. Tell me why, from the very first page to the very last, there was nothing but trauma? Yes, there is one trigger warning at the beginning ("Content note: this book contains depictions of child and animal abuse), but then why would the author say that there isn't any trauma...? I mean, a lot of people dnf'ed bcs of this very reason.

When I hear BGM, I think of Amari (Amari and the Night Brothers), Zélie (Children of Blood and Bones), and Deka (The Gilded Ones). This is not that, at all. I've watched other reviews on YouTube and one person said that this isn't a heavy book. Let me tell you now: this book is very heavy and emotionally taxing;

Spoiler

from the physical abuse of Katrell's mom's boyfriend towards Katrell, to him shooting her dog in front of her, to him pointing a gun at her, to Katrell having to provide for both her mom and her mom's boyfriend, to her mom putting her boyfriend above Katrell, to her mom neglecting Katrell, gaslighting her & letting her boyfriend physically abuse her daughter.

 

Idk who the target audience was, but if you're looking for BGM like the books I've mentioned above, this is not it. Just be (emotionally) prepared, bcs I wasn't, and I had to put the book down several times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Drug abuse

sharib's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

This book surprisingly made me cry alot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Violence

imstephtacular's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Tiffany D Jackson meets Stephen King. What a ride! I love fantasy grounded in reality and this delivered. This is DARK and devastating, but also a powerful and nuanced look at real issues like poverty, foster care, abuse, and privilege. I look forward to Lewis’ sophomore novel in 2023

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Gore

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Car accident, Dysphoria, Grief, Misogyny, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Sexism and Vomit

lowkeymarie's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Animal death, Violence, Child abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse

glasswisteria's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Animal death, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse and Gun violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Self harm

froggydanny's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

corvidprince's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This book needs a massive trigger warning. The plotline was enjoyable, but personally, I really struggled with just how graphically domestic violence, child abuse, abandonment, etc. are described. It was very hard for me to get through, but not because the book was bad, it was just very heavy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Animal death

Moderate: Abandonment and Suicidal thoughts

shadeyc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.5

This was not what I expected. TRIGGER WARNINGS: physical and mental abuse/child abuse/parental abuse, abandonment, death of animal on page, gore. 
I am mad at this book. I am mad at the blurb writers. Again - this was NOT what I expected. 
This is incredibly well written and powerful, and made me cry multiple times. 
However, WHERE THE HELL ARE THE CONTECT WARNINGS!?!?!?! THOSE NEED TO BE AT THE BEGINNING. SEE ABOVE - YOU'RE WELCOME. 
I expected to have some fun with some drama and tense shit and reveals and magic and then satisfaction. But no, I got ambushed by a story about abuse and abandonment that just happens to have resurrection in it. I'M MAD. AND SAD. BUT MOSTLY MAD.  
Read this book, it's really good, but read it KNOWING what you're getting into. I feel like my rating could be higher if it wasn't so upset. 
The characters are devastatingly human and suck you in. It's worth it. but protect yourself first. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Minor: Bullying and Gun violence

porshea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Growing up Black and a young woman is not for the faint of heart. Jessica Lewis, author of Bad Witch Burning, attests to this fact, pulling details from her own life to share Katrell, the protagonist of this novel, with the world. 

Katrell is 16 going on 17 in modern day Alabama and her world is nowhere near as idyllic as the life led by Liesl von Trapp, although the love she has for those near her is just as complicated. As we begin the story, Katrell is still reeling from her mother’s decision to rely on the meager earnings she and her mother’s boyfriend, Gerald, bring in months after being laid off from a retail job. Though recent, nothing about this dynamic is new for Katrell, who has found herself consumed by concerns about making rent and enough money to cover utilities and other basic needs for most of her life. Because of her restaurant job and phantasmal connections she makes for clients, Katrell is unable to truly focus on school and plans to drop out as soon as she turns 17 in order to keep her mother from going to court. Circumstances take on a more dire dimension when Katrell stands up to Gerald and her powers amplify from simple communion with the dead to their resurrection. Seizing an entrepreneurial opportunity in bringing people back from the beyond, Katrell is soon raking in enough money to cover rent for the year in addition to the other expenses she’s been worried about. However, using her powers in such an extreme way puts a lot of wear and tear on her body—clouding much of her thinking and how well she manages school and work—something that does not go unnoticed by those who care for her.

Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/08/the-plot-thickens-bad-witch-burning/

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts