Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Pine by Francine Toon

11 reviews

justinenoon82's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

While Pine may not fit the traditional horror trope, its psychological depth and eerie atmosphere make it unsettling in a slow-burn way. The Scottish setting adds an extra layer of authenticity and connection, especially for those familiar with the culture and landscape.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Mental illness, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Vomit

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

The book has subtle supernatural elements, but it’s more about the haunting psychological aspects of living in an isolated, grief-ridden environment. There is a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a woman and the unsettling dynamics in the village that slowly unfold

isabelsophiex's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death and Gore

Minor: Violence and Blood

biobeetle's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gore, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

elysianbud's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

3.5

I tried reading this ages ago and DNF'd it. Picked it up again and gave it another chance and actually really enjoyed myself. Creepy and mysterious. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Slavery, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

4.0

An eerie thrilling mystery set in a small village n the Scottish Highlands.
  
On a Halloween night Lauren and her father, Niall,  pick up a woman stumbling on the road. In the morning, she's gone. 
  
Lauren feels a familiarness to the woman, who supernaturally turns up at odd times. Niall drinks to forget. Forget that his wife is gone. To forget the whispers of the village about him.
  
When a local woman goes missing in familiar circumstances, Lauren looks for answers, to find her friend, and her mother.
  
I found this a gripping, eerie, thriller that feels like a fog starts to fall and becomes heavier with each chapter until the very end. The build up to the ending was long, and the ending abrupt, but I found myself holding my breath and thinking I was in that village.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Blood, and Death of parent

_egg_wash's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

beca_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? No

4.25

This book is eerie and gothic, honestly I've not many other books that feel this atmospheric. I would say that this book is not marketed properly, as I was sold it as a thriller but I would say it is Gothic Horror. Not an awful lot happens in this book, but the description of Scotland  and the forest alone is brilliant. Mental health, yet not directly mentioned is dealt with within the book, as well as poverty. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Mental illness, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Lesbophobia

booksof_fern's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death

nakutski's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

A well spooky story with a tender heart that slowly develops into a thriller. A 4/5 because the start was a bit slow and the story needed some time to get into the swing of things. Excellent audiobook narrator.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder