Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

81 reviews

ommageden's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

This book rambles far too often, and makes almost all its points heavy handedly. If you are looking for a story about abuse that has a creature arbitrarily added, then this is for you. 

Several plot points make no sense:

for example why didn't William attempt to shoot them through the windows of the cabin? Or shoot off the lock of the door to gain entry while they were still unarmed? How did the creature NOT kill him? How the hell does CP forget a gun in the situation they are in?

By the halfway point I was checked out. By 3/4 I was in too deep but mentally done with this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

cmbohn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

I enjoyed this thriller. I wish that we got to see what happened to William though. The ending was rushed. My biggest complaint was the reader. Mattie was just one dimensional. The reader was hysterical all the time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

aparker89's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Ahhh! Ms Henry has done it again! Damn! I'm shook!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Death of parent, and Murder

skranz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, and Death of parent

sabrinz's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

The story starts with a young woman living at the top of a mountin in an isolated cabin with her husband. She stumbles upon a killed fox that raises some alarm bells, her husband, however, dismisses the fox initially and is more than angry with her for dallying in checking the snares - the task he had set for her.
As we follow Mattie and discover that her husband is far, far from loving and caring and that there is more to the dead fox - a huge beast roaming the mountaintop that will draw people and endanger the isolation William, Mattie's husband has created.

The story is quite gripping and the tension is high throughout. In addition to the monster, the story of how Mattie (and William) came to be on this mountain top is shown as well, picking up on important topics of blame and guilt along the way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Miscarriage, and Vomit

leilawoodhouse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Quite sad I didn't like this! I felt like there was too much going on. The William storyline, the creature, the 3 explorers. I thought they didn't really blend very well. I also thought the characters (mainly the Jen, Griffin and C.P) were a bit 2 dimensional

I thought that Jen and Griffin's deaths were unnecessary. I didn't see what,  especially Jen's, deaths added to the plot apart from showing that the monster was protective of its baby. I thought Griffin was built up quite a bit only for him to be killed quite soon after. The monster was never really explained either. Where did it come from? Why is it here? What is it? In another book that may have added to the mystery and given the world depth but in this book it just seemed rushed.

The ending was so abrupt for me!

we hear alot about Heather but then nothing really happens at the end

I think the creature and the William storyline would have stood much better individually. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, and Death of parent

lukel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

A thrilling book which keeps you guessing until the end. A fun monster read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

darquedreamer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder

nadiajohnsonbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Gore

Minor: Rape and Blood

eva_rebolledo's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed it until I reached about 80% of the book. It's a good story with good writing. And still, there are just so many things left unanswered, and I'm not saying that every aspect or plot of a story should always be explained, but there were so many missed opportunities here; for once, the origin of the creature or

the fact that C.P. doesn't remember Heather being mentioned on the news.

There were a couple of disappointing events, too, 'cause, seriously, what was the point of the creature ripping C.P.'s arm? In my opinion, it didn't add a single relevant aspect to the story. Also, the creature taking away Griffin and Jen when they were the ones who cared the most about Mattie/Samantha? I don't dislike C.P., but I think the story would have been more interesting if we had a group of people helping Samatha instead of just being back to having two characters to focus on.

In other words, the story is good, but the ending is just... pretty meh.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Death of parent, and Pregnancy