Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Alice by Christina Henry

46 reviews

carriethruplotlines's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Gore, Rape, Animal death, Death, Toxic friendship, Torture, Trafficking, and Forced institutionalization

queerloras's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I LOVE Christina Henry's retellings and Alice is beyond a doubt one of my favourites.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Murder, Toxic friendship, Torture, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

theshannara's review

1.25

Alice in Wonderland works as a piece of surrealist fantasy because it  has grounding “in the real world.” We have a point of reference to why things are strange because Alice comes from a world like ours, with no talking rabbits, no size changing potions, and no croquet with flamingos and hedgehogs. Wonderland is separate from Here. In this novel, Wonderland and Here are one. The characters such as The Cheshire, The Rabbit (of which there were two), and The Walrus are name only versions of their Wonderland counterparts, and most of them are human trafficking rapists. The world of Alice has Magicians (who are supposedly gone. There is a twist that will leave you very unsurprised), potions, mermaids, but they’re all normal, except their not, but they are… it’s a mess. The writing is occasionally fun, Henry occasionally uses language that sounds like it could belong in Lewis Carroll’s work, but then the moment passes and you’re left with an empty feeling.
I think this books is mostly supposed to be dark romance. But Alice and “Hatcher” are just so bland, you don’t care. Hatcher is a broody killer with a tender heart, and Alice is a grown woman who is still “childlike.” It’s a problem. All in all, not worth the read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Abandonment, Violence, and Toxic relationship

samcsmith's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Stalking, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Trafficking, Violence, Rape, Cannibalism, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit

rosytosey's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.25

This book is great at sweeping you in from the start. Adventurous horror that will leave you holding your breath for the next encounter. There were times where I felt deeply saddened by the content I was reading, but I suppose that’s what makes it such good writing. I loved the style of writing and the reduction at the end of the novel. However, I am not in a hurry to read the second novel. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Sexual content, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Confinement, and Genocide

allbookedupwithrosie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

Come along with Alice as she goes on a quest with a new friend Thatcher trying to slay the Jabberwocky, while not remembering the creature in the first place. 

Join the twisted and dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland, as she is guide through New City and Old, to regain memories of the past. 

I enjoyed the retelling, though, not necessarily how I thought a retelling of this story would go. It made me think not so much of the characters we know and love but of every day people with the names of the character portrayed. It brought real life into a childrens story, though I hope the events of this telling don’t become a normal in society. 

Overall a very intriguing read, however if you don’t take to violence well (including murder, rape, blood, etc), I wouldnt recommend this book as there are times its mentioned and discussed.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

Moderate: Blood and Death

Minor: Sexual violence and Rape

ancarlina's review

The storyline felt empty because I could not connect with the characters and the gore and horror felt meaningless because there was no real consequence to it...

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Gore, Murder, and Sexual violence

dasrach's review against another edition

Awww, who's an edgy girl? YOU are!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Death, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Abandonment, and Trafficking

Moderate: Cannibalism

carissa230's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Well, this is a unique, dark take on Alice in Wonderland. 

Alice is in a mental hospital and highly medicated after the events in Wonderland. Turns out things were bad down there, the worst thing imaginable for most women. 

When Alice is able to get free from the hospital she returns to Wonderland with the help of her companion Hatcher. They are going to work together to make changes to Wonderland. 

At this point, I am not sure if I will continue the series, but that was a wild ride. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement

Moderate: Murder

jclayton's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Cannibalism, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Rape, Murder, Trafficking, Torture, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Gore, Body horror, and Classism

Minor: Emotional abuse