Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

12 reviews

noellegrace8's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As stated in my review of The Cruel Prince, I really struggled to get into that first book. But I guess I got used to all the oddities, because I couldn't put this one down. There was less fluff, more politics, and it finally felt like the characters were the correct age for the things that are happening. They are adults now, making adult decisions and playing a dangerous adult game of power, authority, and death. I would no longer categorize this as "teen" literature, but "young adult." What really impresses me is that Holly Black manages to make me root for characters that are truly not good people, which is not typical for me. I wanted Jude to win in the first book. I was smug when she turned her knife on Cardan. But now in this one, I wasn't sure who to vie for. It seems like every time a character does something worth celebrating, they also do something that makes you hate yourself for liking them. The betrayals are painful but enticing. Also the cliff hanger??! My library is backed up 10 weeks for the last book and I am REELING about it. I don't know how I'm going to wait that long. This is fantasy done right, and true enemies to lovers (hopefully? Jury is still out on whether "lovers" is true...).

I don't factor the audiobook performance into my rating of the material itself, but I give Caitlin Kelly 4.5/5⭐. Again, by the second book in a series, I tend to get used to whatever problems I had with the voicing in the first. But honestly, there didn't seem to be as many parts where I felt the narrator wasn't portraying the correct emotion or tone of voice. A good performance, overall.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

esterslibrary's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, and War

daenerystargaryen's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit

kymboh78's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

2.5

Full review coming soon 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

valenwhite's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.75

Jude still is annoying as shit, but Cardan in this book is so good that he made it unnoticeable. Also, the decision in the end? So satisfying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Murder

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Alcohol

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

eule's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

Definitely more romance going on in this book (love it and I know this is a YA book, but I would love a little more details, because those particular scenes have so much potential). Cardan somehow became surprisingly enjoyable as well as their relationship. Additionally, the plot is way better in comparison to the first book. Highly recommend this series for any YA reader (it was a little to innocent and childish for my spicy taste). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

em1ani's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting

lizzye33's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and War

Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Outing, Alcohol, and Classism

ilove_books16's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

This book was amazing and I was left with an amazing cliffhanger at the end making me want to read the next one!!!! Would 100% recommend 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail