Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Garden Spells

Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

7 reviews

turrean's review

hopeful medium-paced

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

3.0

Rather like eating not just a spoonful of sugar, but the whole bag.
The book has a lighthearted, whimsical tone sometimes at odds with the gravity of some of the characters’ experiences (including domestic violence and rape.)

It was a strangely old fashioned kind of tale, very focused on romantic love as a woman’s best and most natural destiny. In this magical, quirky town, lots of families have special gifts and abilities, but they’re mostly focused on romance, attraction, and fortune telling. One family’s gift is the sexual prowess of their women; in another clan, men always marry older women. A third family has abundantly fertile women, who often have midlife crises involving immodest clothing and too much perfume, as if the world has no better reward for a mother of six. The main characters’ gifts of magical cooking and hairdressing are very traditionally feminine.

One of the male characters is of the “You told me to leave but I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart!” variety, which seemed distasteful since the villain in a parallel love story is a cruel abuser who refuses to accept a woman’s rejection.

Content Warnings

itsjadenbaby's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

Impeccable! Genuinely such a comforting read despite some of the difficult topics touched upon. I would be happy to enter the world the author has created!

Content Warnings

fdj_25's review

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adventurous hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

A pleasure to read, especially on a warm sunny day. The characters were loveable and their personalities are well explored. However be aware that the topic of domestic abuse/violence is a running theme throughout the book.

Content Warnings