Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

10 reviews

nekoshka's review

adventurous lighthearted 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? No

4.25

Omg this was so cute???
It does suffer from the usual YA problems like underdeveloped characters and a predictable plot, but otherwise it’s unexpectedly good. 
Susan, the MC, is very much the "chosen one" with special powers and special parentage but it’s not annoying and they don’t make her overpowered. And she’s punk!
Merlin is a delightful love interest. Loved the approach to his gender and how the fact that he’s questioning it doesn’t make him any less attractive, flirty and self-assured. Again, I would have loved a bit more elaboration on this topic, but maybe we’ll get it in the next book. 
I thought at first that the constant clothes descriptions would annoy me, but the ended up being a really fun detail. 
The worldbuilding is interesting but sparse. Not developed enough. 
Overall, very easy and light read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit and Confinement

ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

I probably would have loved this if I'd read it as a teen but as I am not a teen anymore this was just okay. Fun, but probably won't bother reading book 2 unless the library gets a copy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence and Murder

Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, and Self harm

monalyisha's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

3.0

It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA novel; this one was more New Adult than YA, which suited me fine. I picked it up because the premise sounded, to me, like Buffy with booksellers (basically, booksellers patrol the Hellmouth). The fantasy focus in this was more fey than demonic (which isn’t typically my jam). Points added for the obvious Ursula K. Le Guin homage. Points detracted for the author’s weird obsession with the tv show The Professionals (is this just a weird British thing I don’t get?) & for falling into that fantasy-genre trap of too much plot/fighting, too little character/dialog.

I’ve read other reviews with comments to the effect of “there’s just something special about Merlin.” I don’t entirely agree. I think too much of his personality was devoted to his fashion obsession. My favorite characters were Susan and the even-handed booksellers. It’s possible that I’ll read the sequel…but it’s more likely that I’ll skip it.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence and Death of parent

pvbobrien's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

macliffe's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

minanonim's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Violence, War, Murder, Torture, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Minor: Self harm, Gun violence, and Death of parent

norwegianforestreader's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence

monniebiloney's review against another edition

funny slow-paced

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

2.0

The main character is blander then a cracker and I would have Droped the book if it wasn't for the efact the world building was interesting and the side characters were interesting.

Merlin was awesome and was non-binary (not that Susan cared or acknowledge this fact, all Susan cared about was that Merlin was hot and looks like a play boy to her. What playboys do you know are debating about changing their physical body's from a male presentation one to a female presentation one Susan. Tell me.) I wish he (the character uses male pronouns in the book, and hasn't decided to switch yet) was the main character as everything about him was more compelling, such as the fact that Merlin was trying to investigate the murder of his MOTHER, while Y/N was looking for her daddy 🥺. I don't think Susan is a good love interest for Merlin, and they need someone who will acknowledge their gender identity, not just place their own expectations onto him. Susan likes Merlin because she thinks he's hot and a playboy, and no other reason and it's depressing. Like Susan, Merlin is a humana being. Treat him like one.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Murder, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Kidnapping, and Gun violence

fantasycat's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

maidmarianlib's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? No

5.0

Amazing!  Love the characters and the world, so imaginative, could hardly put it down.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, and War