Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

9 reviews

fjalar's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Homophobia, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Terminal illness

thatbookmarkbabe's review

dark mysterious reflective 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

4.5

I'm not generally one who reaches for YA often, and I'm often disappointed when I do... But The Honeys is just as strange and captivating as its cover. A slow burn that keeps you turning pages - deliciously weird, queer fun. I'll keep it short and sweet and say pick this one up for The Last Time I Lied x Bunny x Mexican Gothic vibes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Body horror, Bullying, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, and Transphobia

Moderate: Blood, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Sexism, Cancer, Child death, Gore, Death, Dysphoria, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

Minor: Rape

hschlecht's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Transphobia, Murder, Child death, Death, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Outing, Terminal illness, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

esme_may's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Beautifully written and unbelievably visceral. I just wish it had been a little shorter

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Cannibalism, Gore, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Bullying, and Misogyny

Moderate: Deadnaming, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Dysphoria, Terminal illness, Cancer, Death of parent, and Rape

xandraj's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Confinement, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Gore, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness

blacksphinx's review against another edition

funny mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I picked this book up on a whim at my library and it surprised me. It has the most arresting opening to a novel I've read this year - even when the plot really slowed down in the middle, I kept reading because I had to hear an explanation for the explosive opening pages. On the negative side there's also also a particular character relationship that kinds of drops off abruptly that I didn't like, but there's a great twist towards the end that makes the whole book worth the ride. Mars is also just a fun protagonist to hang out with.

Spoiler

I love how the first 3/4th of the book is like "the horror is transphobia" and then the last 1/4th goes "PSYCH, the real horror has been capitalism all along!"

 

Please note that protagonist faces a lot of transphobia throughout the story. Often, I found the constant transphobia to be more horrific than the actual spooky horror elements. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Transphobia, Death, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexism, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Murder, Dysphoria, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Cancer

aexileigh's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Homophobia, Sexism, Child death, Death, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, Drug use, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, and Confinement

ashleyalyse's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Body horror, and Gore

Moderate: Deadnaming, Confinement, Bullying, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Murder

foreverinastory's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5

I feel like I have too many emotions after reading this, but like SOMEONE TELL ME THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL! This book is like dark academia, but summer camp cult version.

I have no idea how to summarize this book, but I think everyone needs to read it. This was so good. It was dark it certain aspects and I am so here for this bee cult!! I loved Mars and seeing them get close to the Honeys. There were so many interesting character relationships and I loved like every second of it. I also really loved how Mars describes his genderfluidity! While I am more in the complete agender side of things, the description just made so much sense and made me feel valid.

I basically marathon-ed this book because I was so invested and I had to know what happened immediately. So here am I no thoughts only vibes. But pick this book up when it comes out! You won't regret it!

Rep: white achillean genderfluid MC, white female side character with terminal cancer (dies in the first chapter), BIPOC lesbian female side character, white gay male side character, white questioning male side character.

CWs: Blood, bullying (current and past mentions), death, gaslighting, grief, homophobia/homomisia, injury/injury detail, misogyny, murder/attempted murder, sexism, sexual harassment, transphobia/transmisia, violence. Moderate: abandonment, cancer, death of parent, kidnapping, terminal illness. Brief: fire. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Cancer, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness

Minor: Fire/Fire injury