Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Jenom nestvůra by Vanessa Len

11 reviews

sirensaria's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture, Kidnapping, and War

luca97's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The author did an incredible job with such a unique idea. She executed the idea of time travel and the process of multi-dimensional worlds in a way that was clear and nonconfusing. I feel like that is an accomplishment in itself to create a storyline as complex "Only a Monster," and have it not become muddled. My brain would never have been able to sort all these ambitious ideas that transpire in the book and articulate them into one storyline. I am thoroughly impressed and it was a joy to read. I wish this wasn't considered YA because it deserves a wider audience to see the author's literary prowess. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, and Violence

kylosten's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

It seemed like there would be enemies to lovers and a fated love to cause tension but both of those stories didn't have any payoff for all the building up of them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Blood

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Cursing, Kidnapping, and Classism

zoeelora's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

booksthatburn's review against another edition

mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

ONLY A MONSTER engages with difference, family, belonging, and monstrosity as Joan, a half-human, half-monster girl witness the massacre of her family by a hero.

The narration focuses on Joan's reactions to various events, often returning to pieces of already-known information as her feelings change in light of new circumstances. It has the cumulative effect that very few things actually happen during the story, and long stretches of time are about processing those events and deciding how to proceed. Aaron's initial disdain transforming into patient support is one of my favorite parts of the book (and is why the ending particularly devastates me). I also like how Tom is a more complicated character than he first appears to be.

This dwells in long stretches of worldbuilding, specifically on snapshots of monster society within human society. Joan marvels at their various waystations, safe places they control for long stretches of time and can get food or supplies for the time where they've arrived. I enjoyed the descriptions as they didn't get bogged down in picky details, but included Joan's thoughts about what she was witnessing. The way the monster powers work is pretty cool, and I enjoyed the various facets of that world. One of my favorite simple details is that they call themselves monsters and that's the end of it. There's no complicated other label for themselves, as they're unashamed of how they live their lives. It's a detail that makes them truly feel like a group whose lives don't revolve around what humans think of them (since humans are little more than fuel to monsters).

I have very mixed feelings about the ending. It uses a trope I've loved at the conclusion of long series, but it leaves me unsure of the direction for the next book. It generates a feeling of immense work that's extremely important but completely invisible to everyone around Joan by the end. The most important thing at the end of the book is how the experience changed Joan, and the specific goal she was able to achieve. The relationships that are built up the most (between Joan and her fellow monsters) are not the ones with the weight of destiny behind them, and I'm nervous for what a sequel could bring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit

introverted_reads's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

thehushedearth's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

In this book Joan is a half human half monster girl who volunteers with a boy named Nick who she really likes. After a series of events that occur when she is supposed to go on a date with him, she learns that she time traveled.

When she goes to explain it to him, they run into more monsters from a rival family and end up in a life or death situation. Joan learns that Nick is the “human hero” from all of the monster children stories and there is a massacre killing Joan’s entire family leaving only Joan and the son of her rival family, Aaron, alive. Joan and Aaron are then forced to time travel again while they run for their lives so that they can try to save their families and end up on a wild adventure full of more monsters and monster slayers and royal courts and monster balls. It’s a wonderful world that Len built full of culturally diverse characters. I understand Joan’s need to have her family back, but I feel like it was a stab in the back toward Aaron and Nick didn’t deserve her love with all that happened.

I feel like this story isn’t close to complete and can’t wait for the next book to see how the gang gets back together and what happens in the monster world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Kidnapping, and War

kate_woollams's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Abandonment

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

kbairbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

I am ✨ speechless ✨ that was amazing. The frozen feeling that I love so much when I figured out who Jaimie is to Tom, the moment I realized Aaron had feelings for Joan, the connection between Joan and Nick. I still have SO many questions and there ABSOLUTELY has to be more to this than this book but my GOODNESS. The tears, the loss, the SACRIFICE holy shit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, and Classism

Minor: Excrement and Vomit

sunlit_music's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

This book was so intense, oh my god. The world building is incredible - so well thought out and creative. I loved the way the book explained the magic system, time traveling, how monsters steal years off people's lives, and the differences and similarities between the monster world and the human world. 

The romance is absolutely heartbreaking. I would say the ending is bittersweet, because the main character Joan manages to

save her family members, but she is never able to see her love interest ever again.

The choices that Joan has to make to save the people she loves are gut wrenching. There are no truly good choices that save everyone. She has to choose between letting her family die, or taking years off strangers' lives to save her own family. 

I like how the book makes you sympathise with Joan and other morally grey characters, even when you don't always agree with them. That's the sign of a truly great writer. 

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes fast paced action, morally grey characters, main characters with supportive loving families, and characters who grow and evolve over time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism