Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Gleam by Raven Kennedy

72 reviews

emmawickum's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

gracefulcatastrophe12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting

jenniferb0310's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

I am unwell. I feel like I’m owed restitution for this emotional damage. This book made me feel so. Many. Emotions. I’ve never eeeeeeever hated a character this much. I think how strongly I feel about these characters is a big testament to how good Raven Kennedy’s writing really is! Along with how down right poetic her right has been throughout every book. This book had me laughing, crying, raging, and sitting at the very edge of my seat. 10/10 experience!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse

kaelizaco's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

trying_ceratops's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? No

4.5

This series is getting crazy in a wonderful way! I immediately started the next one street finishing this one. The romance is everything you want from a dark-brooding type, the main character is so easy to root for and praise. The more you read, the more layers are exposed and mind is blown continuously. The only reason for docking .5 star is the pacing can be a bit slow sometimes to the point I put down the book and don’t pick it back up for a bit. That ending though! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

rosencoffee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

bvippolito's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Best book in the series so far for sure! Huge character building, interesting twists, and more back stories. 

Definitely more POV’s than necessary though. We get Auren, Midas, Milena, and Slade. Auren is really enough but I’m sure there will be a lot more to the Melina storyline. 

We get the romance between Slade and Auren but it’s actually not what I expected or wanted really. They speak in very modern terms and Slades language is really possessive which is odd considering the Midas story and Auren wanting to break away from that language but whatever 🤷‍♀️ its just much more lustful and passionate and romantic which didnt feel natural, though it WAS fun to read the spice, dont get me wrong.

Im excited to spend more time with the characters, especially Digby and the wraith 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

rasha_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Gaslighting

frantically's review against another edition

dark emotional funny slow-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

3.5

The lit student in me, the critic, would like to rate this 3 or even 2 stars. Nothing happened. Just like in the last book. But the Aurip (?) stan in me won out.

You know, maybe sometimes we don't need a plot. Maybe some healing and some sex is enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

Minor: Rape and War

mikasana's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

Best of the series (so far).

This is also the only series I feel has no definite beginning, middle nor end for each book. It’s more so just one sliver of a large overarching story that stems from the first book. There’s usually 1 definite moment that becomes the highlight of each book so far but again, beginning and end are all pretty blurry. 

This approach makes the world and its world-building pretty lacking with more questions than answers as book seems to stray away from. The majority of the focus is on its characters and their relationships/development. 

So despite all its flaws, the slowburn is immaculate. The payoff from book 2 into book 3 is delicious. I love the tension, the flirtations, and the push/pull between our FMC and her love interest.

I will say, however, my biggest gripes were some of the pet names that were used (I hate seeing “baby” as a term of endearment) and some of the raunchier scenes that just felt a little bit out of place with the rest of the book.

Overall the series has me hooked and despite its flaws I will be finishing all of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pregnancy