Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart

17 reviews

bones008's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

It was very gripping! i’m looking forward to more books from this author 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Gore, Torture, and Stalking

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Death of parent, and Alcohol

The author is an autopsy tech by trade so the details she puts in are unnerving and realistic. i think she’s got a special talent for grossing me out while pulling me in. The twist is a wonderful addition i didn’t see coming. i highly recommend this book

katharina90's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

I enjoyed it, particularly the dual POV, but the book was short and didn't allow me to really get to know the characters. 

A little more depth to the characters would have gone a long way to get me invested in their story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Torture, Kidnapping, and Stalking

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Infidelity

kbio's review

dark fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use

goosegirl16's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

The small chapters make it easy to digest and the alternating chapters between the two main characters makes the book fly by. Although the twist was somewhat predictable, it still caught me off guard as the puzzle pieces slowly were put together. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

chasingpages1's review

dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Abandonment

leazybeazy's review

mysterious medium-paced

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

1.0

It was a good premise, but we learnt little about Wren and an incredible amount about the Butcher. The location could have really been anywhere with swamps, there was very little sense of place despite the book being set in New Orleans. The descriptions of the dead bodies were incredibly graphic by comparison. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

lindseyrenee's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Stalking

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, and Fatphobia

lizzieinmt's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

I was skeptical to read this since I found Alaina throigh the podcast. But her writing was so rich and her descriptions so vivid and well chosen I found myself completely engrossed and forgetting this wasn't a real case. I also wasn't able to guess the plot twists before they happened, which was a welcome change in thrillers. Additionally I appreciated how much reallife info from being an autopsy tech she was able to put in, it made the case feel very reakistic. Would absolutely recommend to fans of Morbid or of crime novels generally. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Torture, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Stalking

rainbowcerberus's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use