Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

24 reviews

soph22's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Grief

spookfish's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

It's always difficult to review horror, as I have to separate my physical feelings of discomfort with what I think objectively about it.
Found myself asking "why?" a lot of the time, without answer from Gaiman. There are parts of this book where it doesn't feel sure of where it is trying to head itself. It makes sense knowing this was supposed to be a short story that was extended into a novel. Not a bad book by all means, just... lacking something for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, and Blood

readermann's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Violence

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Blood

jolineliest's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Vomit, Grief, and Car accident

michael_richter's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Bullying and Child death

thecandiegirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Animal death, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Blood

riverofhorton's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

So I went into this book thinking it was a kid's book and would be a fun frolic in a fantasy world. A kid's book it most definitely is not, despite the main character being 7 through the main part of the story. Once I realised and came to terms with my own assumptions being wrong, I found the book to be really enjoyable.

It tackles a few quite mature themes through the wonder of a child's perspective, which is something I don't think I've seen before. It takes place pretty much in our world but with a bit of magic thrown in, some being things that are still magic to us as children, giving the impression that there is magic to be found in the real world, if you look through that child-like lens.

I did also appreciate some of the little call backs to things that previously seemed unimportant.

I also liked that it ends in such a way as to facilitate re-reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

chronicacademia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Car accident, and Gaslighting

Minor: Bullying and Blood

antarcticophile's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

A wonderful sprint through a fantastical but familiar land in the shoes of a child.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Minor: Body horror, Confinement, and Blood

bookthief404's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Creepy, dark, thrilling, addicting. 
I loved how the whole thing was written from the perspective of a small child. I enjoyed realising what was really going on, despite only being told of the events through a child's language. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, and Car accident