Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

108 reviews

toastrats's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Death, and Sexism

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Lesbophobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, and Homophobia

stonefruits's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Miscarriage, Lesbophobia, Confinement, Infertility, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gore, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

cjreadstoomuch's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexism, Misogyny, Bullying, and Death

Moderate: Violence, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Outing, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content

bookishchef's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.25

The first 50% of this is so so so good. 

But the rest...
Oh the rest...

I went into this book with low expectations. To be reminiscent of the Handmaid's Tale is quite a big claim, so my expectations plummeted to the lowest circle of Hell.

And that's where my expectations would have remained if the first quarter of this book wasn't so good. 

The mystery is interesting. And the flower language worldbuilding feels very unique and not too far removed from our own world at the same time. The author keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Is the magic real? Who are the Poachers and what motivates them? Why is Kiersten such a bitch? They're interesting questions, and the answers weren't bad either but the way we got those answers...

At about the 25% mark the story starts to drag a bit. This is made up for by Liggett's excellent writing. At this point, you don't know whether Tierney is spiraling into madness or whether the world around her is truly mad. The plot doesn't move forward, but the story remains interesting. 

Then at the 50% it all goes to shit. 
Suddenly, we get introduced to the most bland love interest I've ever read about. He has no personality and falls for Tierney for no discernible reason. And of course, Tierney loves him back despite him having the personality of unseasoned chicken. 

The author rushes us through a love story. And when I say rushes, I mean RUSHES. 

And then, after some shenanigans we're back to the plot and the mystery and the book is actually really good again until the last fucking chapter. 

What the fuck was that love story doing in this book? This story really really really did not need a romance plotline. The book would have been an easy 3 (or maybe even 4) star for me if the romance had not been there. It takes away from the themes of the book and undercuts its message. I don't understand how you write a book about sisterhood and fighting the patriarchy, and then have the MC only care about her male love interest for half of the book. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah. 

The book also has very white feminism vibes. Can't quite put my finger on what exactly rubs me the wrong way, but to begin with, the book has 0 characters of colour

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Suicide, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Murder, Death, Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Medical content

Moderate: Vomit and Lesbophobia

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Infertility

planreadrepeat's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This book feels like a mix of so many others. Handmaid’s Tale mixed with Hunger Games spiced with Salem Witch Trials and Lord of the Flies. 

The overall theme of men ruling and women submitting is laid out with a nice bit of world building. How brutal the girls, and women, are to each other seems far fetched until you think of the Salem Witch Trials and other acts of mass hysteria. 

The ended was hopeful and sad at the same time. Good read to make you think of power in society. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, and Grief

Minor: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

caitlyn_kittle_kinnick's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Blood

Moderate: Torture, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Kidnapping

grace_lynn08's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexism, Torture, Misogyny, Suicide, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Incest, Violence, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gore, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Death

ann_the_imp's review

dark emotional hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Vomit, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Confinement, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Sexual content, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Addiction, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

elysianbud's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Went into this expecting a bit more survival and a lot less love story, but overall I still enjoyed it. 
Quick read, finished it in one day. 
I do like that at the end of the book the main character hasn't magically fixed everything in society through the power of gutsy honesty, and that it takes a more realistic approach of showing small steps towards change instead. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Vomit, Confinement, Gore, Body horror, Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Stalking, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Suicide attempt, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Lesbophobia, Outing, Physical abuse, and Homophobia

logsbooklog's review

dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.25

there’s a lot i liked and an ok amount i didn’t. the beginning is rough, parts of the middle feel shallow, and the ending rings a bit hollow, but the breathless pace and tense scenes work well and a lot of the individual moments made me shiver. i’m left wanting more both positively and negatively.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Homophobia, Excrement, and Vomit