Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

36 reviews

meaghanelizabook's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

booksthoughtsandtea's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book shows the lengths older siblings will go to protect younger siblings, that love isn't enough to live on, the power of selfishness and selflessness, and the burden of grief. I wish this book had a more satisfying ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

annaavian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

In "The Crane Husband," Kelly Barnhill reimagines the traditional Japanese folktale "The Crane Wife" for a modern Western audience through a devastating dark fantasy that explores domestic violence, cycles of abuse, fear of abandonment, and the exploitation of women. While staying true to the core theme of the original folklore - the mistreatment of women by men - Barnhill introduces additional layers of complexity and insight. However, the protagonist does not alter the story's ending from tragic to uplifting. Despite the crane's demise, nothing is truly salvaged.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

daniellekat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

Beautiful and simple but the writing often surprised me with its power of capturing certain moments and feelings. I loved the added element of the not-too-far-future dystopian environment. Overall, a stunning novella with an interesting perspective on a tragic and all too common experience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Blood

devynreadsnovels's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Grief

thelittle_seokmin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

triciajk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

5.0

The Crane Husband will tear you to shreds. It is violent and wrenching and filled with truths the way most good fairy tales are. The main character remains nameless throughout the story, her invisibility a product of her neglect as she becomes the caretaker for her family. This is a story of sacrifice, a story of abuse, a story of generational trauma, a story of the effects capitalism and monopolization can have on working families. Barnhill weaves all of these themes into her story, the story of a nameless girl disillusioned by the harshness of the world too soon as she finds her own path to survival. At the end, the reader is left to deal with the pieces as they fall.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Blood

ellekiriel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, and Abandonment

rachelle_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

I read this in one sitting, but I’ll be thinking about it for a while. The author deftly walks the reader down a murky road that crosses just over into futuristic fantasy from the stark reality of the present day.  Sometimes that takes the edge off the violence in the book; sometimes, the bizarreness makes everything that much more nauseating.

The images of the weaver stitching up her wounds will stick with me for a long time.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Blood, and Death of parent

reading_rainbow_with_chris's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-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? No

3.75

“The Crane Husband” by Kelly Barnhill
At 15 years old, and mature for her age, a young girl in the Midwest carries far more than her fair share of household duties in the wake of her father’s death and her mother’s artistic impulses. But when her mother brings home a giant crane as her next lover, things in the house became far more tense than ever before.

In this tight 120 page tale, Kelly Barnhill has once again revealed herself as a master of magical realism. I pounced on this after having read her stunning novel “When Women Were Dragons” and devoured this in 24 hours. I do think it’s worth noting, however, that “The Crane Husband” has its fair share of flaws. If I sit and think through the experience with a critic’s eye, the pacing feels off for how quickly the major twist becomes apparent to the reader ahead of the characters. As a result, the suspense is not as effective. I also found myself at times incredulous at how skilled, how brilliant, how effective the protagonist was in roles well beyond her years or experience. Yet she was never found out. Somehow, this felt less believable than the giant crane lover. And yet, this story was riveting from start to finish and I absolutely loved the journey. It’s imperfect, but some of the best things in life are. Highly recommend for fans of magical realism tinged with a touch of horror.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Blood

Minor: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Vomit