Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Ein Fluch so ewig und kalt by Brigid Kemmerer

11 reviews

qrschulte's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Enjoyable book, but I didn’t love it as a whole. And I CALLED IT!

Things I loved: 
- a protagonist with a disability who is affected by their disability but not defined by it. So refreshing that she was a fully realized person
- the Rhen narrator. Honestly, the book might have been better with just him narrating the whole thing. 
- believable reasoning for why someone from our world could ride a fucking horse

Things I did not love: 
- How whiny the Harper narrator made her sound sometimes. It made it a lot less believable it was the same character between the narrators. 
- The monster narration (so fucking creepy/scary). Could have done without that. 
- The parts where it was said Harper was “not like other girls” *cue vomiting*

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Medical content, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, War, Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Cancer, Suicide, Torture, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment, Body horror, Self harm, Classism, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, and Stalking

Minor: Gun violence, Child death, and Infidelity

katievallin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Violence, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Stalking, Alcohol, Gore, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Minor: Child death, Vomit, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Rape, and Ableism

annorabrady's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Blood, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Self harm, Outing, Abandonment, Child death, Death of parent, Cancer, Vomit, War, Violence, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Ableism

jessreadreceipts's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Grief, War, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

purplehulk713's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I thought the book had an ingenious spin on “Beauty and the Beast” and that Harper was an incredibly compelling protagonist. But I became disinterested at times when it became about war strategy and political affairs without a lot of heart into the social underpinnings of these issues. I disliked Rhen, not because he was poorly written, but because I dislike moody, noble male characters. I really wanted more Zo, who we only get to meet toward the end. Lilith is delicious. Her back-and-forth with Harper is great. The themes of choice and consequences are kind of didactic, but it’s written in a way that makes it seem natural for the characters to elucidate them. But honestly, I read the preview and I had higher hopes. I might be being too critical but I still quite enjoyed this book. Do you dare seek what lurks in Ironrose Castle?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Gun violence, Abandonment, War, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Death, and Cancer

amykwrites's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Blood, Cancer, Gore, Kidnapping, Violence, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Infidelity, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Murder, and Torture

lotte5322's review against another edition

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Abandonment, Blood, Cancer, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and War

rensreading's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

*clenches fist* 

i have no idea where to begin with my love for this story. it was heartbreaking, tragic, funny, and full of so much promise.

though to be fair, i think that plot twist at the end was completely unnecessary and this could’ve just been a standalone. but that’s just my opinion and it might change after i read the sequel. i suppose we’ll see in time.

i adore absolutely everything about harper. she’s so badass. i hope if i ever end up in her position i too can do what she has. wishful thinking though heh

rhen, oh that man. and scary gray!!!! gods they were the best thing to come from this book. zo too! i just loved their dynamic so much. gray’s undying loyalty was just the absolute best. i love him so much. and rhen was so tortured but so unwilling to let anyone else shoulder his hurts. that’s the kind of love interest i would give up everything for.

100% a 5 star read for me!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Blood, Violence, Body horror, and Medical content

Moderate: Torture, War, Infidelity, and Medical trauma

Minor: Ableism and Abandonment

loverofbooks123's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

If I had to use a single word to describe this book it would be enthralling. This has become one of the best books I have ever read. Since it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I was a little skeptical about reading it but it was far better than the original.
Harper, the main character, was a delight to read. She was very different from any other female characters I have read. I have come across smart, independent and fiery heroines but Harper really made me admire her not only because of her qualities but also her flaws.

She doesn't have anyone pity her for her cerebral palsy and is eager to learn new skills - not to mention her outstanding capabilities of an equestrian.

Her emotions and practicality are so amazingly balanced. Her sheer determination to save the people of Emberfall from the curse was truly commendable.

I expected the book to end with both of the main leads falling in love, the curse lifting off and everyone gets a happily ever after. But I was glad when she said she wanted time to sort out her feelings. It was the best ending one could hope for instead of having the book end with yet another case of Stockholm syndrome.

Rhen, the hero and the Beast of our story, might be the best YA male lead I've read in a while. His character is so complex. Like he was an arrogant prince but as Grey says, never cruel. The way he's come to change his ways after being cursed was some major character development.
Grey, Freya, Jamison - there's isn't a character you'd hate except of course Lilith.
Truly, a refreshing take on a classic fairytale. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Abandonment

durrareadsstuff's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

WOW it's been so long since I've felt this way about a book and for that I say thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't stop thinking about this book. It exceeded all my expectations and the hype I saw on instagram. To be honest, I was quite skeptical about this book cause I'm not too big a fan of beauty and the beast, so I had pretty low expectations going into this, but I loved it so much!!

First of all, I LOVE Brigid Kemmerer's writing style. It's utterly mind-blowing. I mean, just look at this:

Hope blooms in my chest anyway, a tiny bud giving way to the first light of spring, petals daring to open to reveal the colour inside. 

HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THAT?? And the way she so effortlessly alternates between the "modern" and "old" povs like Harper vs. Rhen was just amazing. The way you can tell who's speaking even if she didn't put the name in there. I think that's really well done. 

In terms of the characters, I loved them all. I like how Brigid didn't make having cerebral palsy as Harper's dominating personality trait. I love how Harper acknowledges it and isn't ashamed of it and doesn't let it get in her away and she's just so strong and smart. And another thing I find sort of refreshing is that Harper isn't a "natural" badass you know? Like she's not like Inej or Aelin or Zoya who, when we read their stories, they're already "men-killers" and super skilled assassins, but in this case, Harper is still in her learning phase and she's so resilient and I just love that.

They believe her limp is the result of a war injury, but Harper is quick to correct them. 
"I was born this way," she'll snap, "and I'm going to die this way, so teach me to work around it."

I also loved Rhen's character. I like how he seems like a self-indulgent arrogant prince in the beginning and we get to see him shed his layers. I love how he cares so much about his people and tries time and again to sacrifice himself to save them. His story is so, so sad and he's had to go through all that grief and pain and confusion all alone. Grey was such a good friend/loyal commander. I think he's my favourite character. 

Also something worth noting - how both Rhen and Harper were scared to fall in love with each other cause neither of them could tell if it was for real. I MEAN--bye I'll be staring at the ceiling for the next few hours.

Some of the themes covered in this book are 
- cerebral palsy
- abandonment (Harper's father) 
- guilt
- grief 

Some of the political intrigue was lost on me, but that's just a me-thing. I think this book was so close to perfection but for some reason I just can't give it a 5 star. But yeah, awesome read.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Self harm, and War

Minor: Sexual content