Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Half Sick of Shadows

This book had some elements that provided interesting social commentary about issues in feminism, and how a society that doesn't treat women with respect can impact female friendships. The author did put some creative spins on the original myth, but unfortunately, her treatment of issues related to mental health as a plot element were extremely off-putting.

Any story where suicide is treated as a character defining moment of a woman choosing her own path, and where it is also a plot answer solution to the character's problems is a very dangerous message to be giving young women. I think the good elements of this book were ruined by this glaring oversight. I'm really not sure how it got by the sensitivity readers. I understand that the death of the original Lady Shalott was an unavoidable obstacle in the author's attempt to rehabilitate this character as a modern heroine, but maybe some characters should be left as they were. Elaine is not the model we need.

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krissy0906's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.75

I really enjoyed this book! Although I didn’t know a lot about Arthurian legend (just the basics), I still found this book great and became even more interested in the legend. I loved the feminist twist to it.

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ssbuschman's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

This was a great story, well written, and keeps you curious the whole time. But it is a wholly sad and melancholy story. It is a great companion for a rainy day, or a glum mood, but I wouldn’t recommend reading it while the sun is out and a smile is on your face.

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bookishkale's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.25

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aancharski's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

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cactuscloudsreads's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

I can see where the author thought she was going with making Elaine’s story (originally by Tennyson) into a powerful feminist retelling. Homie, this was not a feminist book. It was more like an example of why not to let women run things. It was painfully redundant, slow and the ending tells a horrible story to anyone suffering from depression.

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robbiclaire's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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

The way that this story is written is so immersive that the reader feels as if they’re on horseback alongside the five heroes of the Arthurian saga. The manipulation of time throughout Elaine’s narrative can sometimes be a challenge to navigate but it serves as a reminder that the future is not set, that things change, that we change. This reclaiming of the character from Tennyson’s poem is fantasy at its finest, full of adventure and romance and all magic. But it is also challenging and breaks the reader’s heart. Beautifully written and captivating.

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elbell99's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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