Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Harrow la Nona by Tamsyn Muir

40 reviews

corsetedfeminist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s okay, I didn’t need my heart to be in one piece anyway.
If you’re keeping a spreadsheet, yes, this book also made me cry. 
I’m not sure how to write a review for it, because it defies my normal method of writing reviews and I don’t want to spoil certain very startling plot points, but I shall try. 
I really liked the growth of Harrow’s character in this and I found myself identifying with her a lot as someone who grew up in religion and then suddenly started deconstructing it all. The constant question of what is real or not in this book makes it both rather confusing to read but also riveting, and Harrow’s struggles with mental illness and hallucinations is handled realistically- gently by those who love her, and as another way to manipulate her by others. (Ianthe, when I get my hands on you, you’re going to regret being the surviving twin) I loved Harrow in the last book, but I came to love her even more in this one- she is deeply, deeply flawed, but also deeply broken and simultaneously trying to be better, even when her methods are… questionable. 
The plot itself is complex and confusing, but also grabs you by the throat and drags you along in a way that cannot be escaped. I’m still a little unclear on all of the relationships that are detailed in the last few chapters, and I’m pretty sure I need a spreadsheet, but the story manages very complicated and obscure worldbuilding while preserving the atmosphere and drive in a way that keeps the story moving forward. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury

lunarkris's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kelisabeth's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

ladythana's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse

riledupryepie's review against another edition

challenging dark funny 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

5.0

I love you Harrowhark Nonagesimus. What have you done to yourself.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Child abuse, Vomit, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death and War

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

This is a book you really need to read at least twice to appreciate. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, Incest, Infertility, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Alcohol

charleyyyyy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Oh
Shit
Uh
Huh
Fuck
?????

That was so cool

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

steph_weigle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Colonisation

lunarlibra's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Love love love. I read through the night so I'm not very coherent rn but as much as I loved GtN, I LOVED HtN!! I plan to reread both before moving on to NtN and will update my review with more coherent thoughts, but one thing: I deeply appreciated the depiction of hallucination and different perceived realities, especially after reading the acknowledgements. Anyway. God what a great book

i love killing(???) God in fiction, even if it doesn't keep

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting

iane_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Eating disorder, Genocide, Sexual content, Suicide, and Cannibalism

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Dementia, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War