Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

8 reviews

katerina_l's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

dblue236's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

This was the second book I've read by this author, and I think at this point, that's enough for me to add her to my list of writers whose work I buy every time they release something new. The story here was wildly original and compelling, and while there was one small aspect of it that was predictable, for the most part I was dying to find out where it went and spent every possible spare minute reading. I absolutely loved the creativity and the richness of the characters and setting and I cannot wait to read more by this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

kaitlynnnng's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-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

Something I enjoyed about this book was that, when I started a chapter, I never knew how I would feel by the end of it. There was a mix of regular small-town living, the supernatural and fantastical, and mystery. I don’t think there was too much of one thing.

Some of the twists were easy to see coming once other twists were introduced.

For example, I knew “Uncle Ezra” and Whitaker were both suspicious, but once we learned who “Uncle Ezra” really was, it was easy to see that Whitaker was the Dark Watcher.

I appreciate the themes of the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment

ka_ke's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

Small Favours certainly has dark christianity based undertones. I’m not sure if this is intentional or if I’m simply projecting my own experiences on the story. Otherwise, Small Favours is a fun thriller. Watching the towns people slowly lose themselves to insanity is creative, dark and immersive. Another win for Erin A. Craig. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Colonisation

krispy_reading's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Intended Age Demographic: 12 - 18 (source: Kirkus Reviews)

I enjoyed this book, but the ending was definitely YA. I need to track down a similiar book but in adult. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Pregnancy

andromeda_1998's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Small favors took me by surprise. I really enjoyed myself while reading it and I’m not sure if I will ever be able to find something like that again. I hope that the writer will someday decide to write a second book because some things are left unanswered but I like it as a stand-alone. The books has some dark and tense elements that I loved but I would have enjoyed it more if we had seen even more of this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

tays_books's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Suicide

ireadinbed's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved the entire experience of reading this book. 

It gave me the same feelings I often had reading books as a child. I cannot remember the last time I felt so well immersed. It did a good job of dropping red herrings do I couldn't quite figure things out whilst also giving me enough crumbs that my fairy story loving brain was a buzzing!

I found parts of it quite dread inducing but in a fun way. Like it was surprisingly scary, I didn't expect it!

I connected a lot with the characters and some over arching themes about what desperation and bad luck can do to us.

Just genuinely very well done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Alcohol