Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

18 reviews

itsbumley's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

august_ambrosia's review against another edition

emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

3.0

solid book! slightly annoying naive voice for a 17 year old but thats to be expected and it wasn't terrible or grating. nice witch hunt story + i would call the ending unrealistic if it wasn't historically accurate. so. pretty fun! good stuff. there's probably better witchy historical fiction out there but as far as it goes. not bad. tw for pretty graphic description of labour 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Death and Pedophilia

blissofalife's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

2.75

I was a little disappointed with the climax and ending. It felt like we were building up to some grand reveal which never came. Even the title of the book felt a little misleading? Familiars were mentioned, but never obviously attached or showed clear purpose. I didn’t really understand Fleetwood obsession with Alice, but maybe that was the point and I missed it.

  And the big reveal about her husband having another family? Why did that just fizzle out at the end and come to nothing? We spent half the book with her being so distressed about it and in the end the solution is: “I’ll just ignore it.” But the reveal at the end that these were real characters and loosely. (very loosely.) based on real events was super interesting to me!

 

I did, however, love the attention to historical detail and dedication to - as far as I can tell - historical accuracy in the descriptions of interactions between the classes and feelings and views of the time. As well as what the characters were wearing, and why.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, and Classism

Minor: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

chronically_cosy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Sexism

sammie_snk's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious

3.75

*Trigger warning for those experienced with pregnancy loss*

Interesting tale of strong women finding friendship and support during an era that is quite unkind to women. Lots of twists and a satisfying yet mysterious conclusion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, and Pedophilia

Minor: Rape

kaiden1565's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Miscarriage

the_bees_books's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.25

If you're interested in the Lancashire witch trials, historical misogyny and historical thrillers, read this! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

livlostinstereo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

a_very_dyslexic_reader's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy