Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

38 reviews

thefatpaperback's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

This book is a fever dream. I still think back on it and wonder if this was an actual book I read. It’s bizarre, but the writing is incredible. Big moments and shocking events are delivered like ripping off a band-aid: blunt and disorienting. The characters are great too. A friend and I were chatting about the book and he said he liked how it’s diverse without trying to be diverse and I agree. I 10000% recommend. I read this at the end of October and it was haunting for sure (but not scary…I don’t do horror novels!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Physical abuse, Medical content, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal cruelty

characters in this book attend a private collegiate college that performs, sometimes unbeknownst to students, experiments on their bodies and minds. I’m very sensitive to gore and horror—that’s not in this book. But it is a spooky, creepy read, so I wanted to be thorough in my content warnings.

klubbgodis's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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: Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

purplatypus's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident

tina94's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Sexual violence, and Kidnapping

aseel_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I don't really understand this book... it reminds of this dark academia/fantasy/translated East European book I read, the plasma (if that's the right spelling) was just werid as. the pacing was a bit off and I felt like the short snippets of everything made it really hard to understand the characters. I was interested in the mental state of the characters likes ines or baby but mm, done pretty poorly. the ending was just like 'ah okay then'. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual content and Vomit

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense 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

4.0

I'm in the minority that loved this book and it makes me so happy!!!!! Honestly it reminded me alot of The Magicians by Lev Grossman, but a little less whimsical, and replace the magic with science. But that dark, kinda ethereal, am I high or what is going on right now kind of vibe was definitely the same in both books. And the ending, while very abrupt, fit the overall story arc to a t. And the mental illness rep was everything, and of a flavor I haven't seen before. Very gritty and real. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, and Gaslighting

rhaase0509's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

I think this book was well written, but just wasn't my preference. The narrator seems to struggle with mental illness, creating a sense of detachment from the world around her. I did not find the story particularly engaging and I predicted each of the twists.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

caseythereader's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.0

 - CATHERINE HOUSE is modern gothic, dark academia deliciousness with a bit of a sci-fi twist.
- Ines is a bit of a disaster bi and I think many readers may not like her. Additionally, the plot takes its time getting going, but the imagery and atmosphere along the way was worth it for me.
- Also, so many people told me nothing happens in this book, which...did we read the same book? So much happens! There's just a lot of drunken partying inbetween plot points, which, as someone who attended a small, cultish college, feels accurate. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Car accident

reedsky'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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Vomit