Reviews tagging 'Child death'

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

56 reviews

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, Death, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Torture

Minor: Gore, Slavery, and Cursing

jackierabbit's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

1.5

Some of the writing in this book is gorgeous. I really mean it. 

Spoiler-free examples:

“But he was the Prince of Death, Amir al-Maut, as his mother had once called him in the old tongue, and good night always felt like goodbye.” P. 303

“Somewhere in the distance, a bird cried. Zafira couldn’t breathe past the delight expanding in her chest.” P. 318

But most of the writing is, in my opinion, akin to Tumblr poetry circa 2012. And it’s so repetitive. 

Spoiler-free examples: 

“She was going mad. She was the daughter of a madwoman, the daughter of a madman. Madness lived in her blood. That was the only explanation for this.” P. 187

“I have

to get out of

the way.” P. 222

(Yes, it’s really formatted like that. This occurs several more times.)

“She needed to lie down. What was she, an old man? She didn’t need to lie down.” P. 250

Examples with spoilers: 

Spoiler

”She didn’t need the others, the shadows reminded her.” P. 250

Spoiler

“Sometimes their surroundings mimicked her thoughts, wilting and wavering before she blinked and everything righted. The darkness was always happy to see her.” P. 299

(Also on page 299, we see the phrases “Weariness and wariness,” and “trekked and tracked.” Someone was feeling alliterative.)

Spoiler

And the worst offender: “She wanted Nasir to kill the Lion. His mother wanted him to kill the lion. She believed he could kill the Lion.” P. 418

Because this is already fairly lengthy, I won’t get into my opinions of the characters, the romance, the plot, or the world-building. To sum it up: I don’t like it. The one shining light was the Arabic. Habibi is my favorite term of endearment and one we should be using more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Torture

Moderate: Death of parent and Misogyny

Minor: Child death

katievallin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Kidnapping, Child death, War, and Domestic abuse

joensign's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexism, Death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body horror, Kidnapping, and Child death

cozyreader9752's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Torture, Grief, Physical abuse, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Child death

shannnne's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Sexism

Minor: Sexual content and Child death

gabydoesgrowth's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

This started off slow for me and I struggled to stay interested, but once their journey began, I was engrossed in the book. I even thought about it throughout my day when I wasn’t reading. The two perspectives were easier to follow than expected and the audiobook narrators did an amazing job. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, War, Murder, Torture, Death, Violence, Classism, Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Confinement and Child death

amynaaaa_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Death

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Misogyny

Minor: Child death

reign_kaur's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Writing style is beautiful poetry. Great YA story of a girl fighting the patriarchy 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Child death

maple_dove's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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

4.75

I read this book SO QUICKLY. I started reading this book because I'm in the DAY (Dear Asian Youth) Book Club but then I ended up reading this book at a pace I used to read at.

For one thing, the double-life aspect. I'm a sucker for double lives. I absolutely adored the worldbuilding too.

Spoiler

I'm astonished on how the KulsumxNasir part was handled. Although it was like the cheating trope in a way, in this context, it just made sense. After all, can you really blame Kulsum for not falling in love with a person like Nasir? The reveal didn't feel forced in any way and felt natural.

I did have some qualms. For example, I didn't like that the reveal of the Hunter's identity was revealed so quickly in one chapter.

Spoiler

Also, the fact that each time the unveiling of the Demenhune Hunter's real gender was spontaneous each time? At the same time, I do like that Zafira wasn't afraid of revealing that she was a woman who took on traditionally masculine tasks.

Reviewers have probably complained about how they couldn't take Zafira or Nasir seriously as the Hunter or Prince of Death. However (if this is the case) I think they're missing the point. I believe that was the author's intention. Zafira and Nasir may have these intimidating roles and personas, but what this book shows is that those personas do not tell the full story of who they actually are.

Favorite Quotes:

Paranoia had a way of visiting when he was least desired.

Darkness had seized his mind, whispers and half-crazed screams echoing in his ears when his fingers passed over the inscriptions in the ancient tongue. It was a darkness wrought with pain, a darkness that could never end.
It was a darkness that despaired in itself.

Maybe the tiny lions were merely ornaments, a display of pride for the victory over a man who defied men, only to be slain by women.

In this moment, we are two souls, marooned.
That was life, wasn't it? A collection of moments, a menagerie of people. Everyone stranded everywhere, always. ⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Torture

Moderate: Death of parent and Gore

Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Child death, Child abuse, and Suicide

Verbal abuse (graphic)