Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford

12 reviews

treblemakeranna's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Murder, and War

hannah1994's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.0

This has Princess mononoke vibes and that is such a vibe

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Death

Minor: Chronic illness, Blood, and Grief

meghansarmiento97's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

librarybookfamily's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Chronic illness, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

imaginingly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

5.0

the world building of this book is absolutely delicious 
i really enjoyed how we got to learn about each main and side character and how literally everything goes together in the end 
breathtaking fr fr

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

robin_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

A magical forest living in seeming perfect symbiosis with the people of Endla until Leelo saves a young man washed ashore their island and learns a lot about herself, the forest and her family. 

I love a magical sentient forest. This wasn’t bad but it didn’t quite scratch that itch. Definitely for those who like hurt/comfort and hiding a relationship tropes. 
Someone called this dark cottage core and I’d agree with that 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Infidelity and Vomit

katvou's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death and Alcohol

Minor: Domestic abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

hobbithopeful's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

An enchanting tale of a hungry forest, and the people that protect it, The Poison Season had me entranced with brilliant use of imagery, prose, and engaging characters. Leelo and her family live on the island of Endla,  protected by a poisonous lake and nourished by the creatures that live in the magical forest around them. In return villagers take turns being Watchers, and keep the island safe from outsiders and those you would do harm to them and their way of life.  Leelo is beginning to question everything around her when her younger brother is exiled along with other children who don't  possess the singing magic required for their way of life. The threads that bind Leelo to her community and the way they live begin to fray further when she rescues and outsider who nearly dies in the lake. She must now secretly nurse him back to health, or turn him in to be killed. A perfect fantasy romance and at its heart a story about the effects of generational trauma, and how twisted we become in the name of love. I truly adored this book, do not fear while it does go to dark places, in the end everything wraps up nicely. (A little too happily perhaps)
The Cover 
I am absolutely in love with this cover! Leelo's beauty is mentioned numerous times throughout the story and it seems only fitting that she is to grace the book cover. Charlie Bowater's illustration manages to convey mystery and longing, with several clever symbols that represent the poison and danger that lurks around beauty. Leelo almost seems like she is being consumed by the forest, all the while looking ethereal. (Notice the nightshade berries and the spider that creep on the edges) There is a swan feather cast in partial shadow that sits amongst her tresses, perhaps a representation of love and mating for life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Death of parent

steff_fox's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Genuinely torn a bit on this one. It had a painfully slow start and the end truly left me feeling like something was missing…but in general, once everything started moving, it was actually a pretty engaging and somewhat meaningful story about unlearning the lies around us. 

I also picked this up for the fox on the cover…which I have to say has basically nothing to do with the story, lol. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Drowning & poison.