Reviews tagging 'Child death'

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

39 reviews

aandromeda's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

thatchickengirl23's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Chronic illness, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Dementia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

fiz23_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Child death

Moderate: Classism, Dementia, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Confinement, Deadnaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Violence

meliemelo's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I am fascinated by how masterfully Shirley Jackson manages to create such an eery atmosphere, making you feel so much when so little happens. Merricat is a mesmerising heroine and I was equally intrigued by Constance and Uncle Julian. I found the last few chapters harrowing, more so than I had anticipated, mainly because of how deeply invested I was in Merricat and her feelings.

On a side note, I wasn't too keen on the analysis provided at the end of my edition, but it did not make me like the story any less. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Bullying, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Murder, Dementia, Confinement, and Violence

maresuju's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Dementia, Bullying, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

Minor: Child death

theangelssing's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

it was an interesting book.
I really enjoyed reading it, and I found the writing style readable. 

Spoiler

I still can't figure out why Mary Katherine put arsenic in the sugar and it makes me wonder if I didn't understand something in the book

I loved how the author played with the gothic genre and how she managed to let us enter Mary Katherine's mind and I truly appreciated how well-depicted the villagers were
A book you need to read!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Child death, and Death

sas_lk's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Oof. I don't even know where to start... there are so many layers to this book that I really did not expect. In some parts it was incredibly hard for me to read - that dread of somebody snaking themselves into your life and turning those you love into somebody you do not know and trust anymore. The despair in this book was tangible; it still weighs heavily in my heart, and I suspect it will continue to do so for long. I feel so much for Mary, this little girl who's had her world thrown upside down, who simply wants a better life - a moon to live on, where everything is okay - and doing every thing she can to get to that moon. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is filled with the desperate need of a child to hold on to a world she can cope with. This novel was so heartwrenching and tragic... I feel as though nothing I could say would accurately describe the pure pain in this novel. 
I'm going to need a long time to truly process this book I think, and I will probably find myself coming back to it again and again.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Hate crime, Death, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death

henriediosa's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I love Merricat's style of narration and how the two sisters look out for each other. If you're looking for a non-romantic version of a fucked up love story, this is it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, and Bullying

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

There is an unreliable narrator who engages in a lot of magical thinking and has her own sense of morality. She's prone to daydreaming and wishing death upon people.

shieldbearer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Another book read because it was a favorite of Suzanne Collins', I did not know what to expect going into this and I really enjoyed it. A deeply layered text with so much complexity, its ambiguity is also its brilliance.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Classism, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, and Child abuse

erinoco's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Death