Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

24 reviews

orionmerlin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Characters: 8/10

The crew is cool—maybe too cool. Each member is distinct, and their banter is great, but let’s be real: they’re walking, talking archetypes. Kaz is the broody mastermind with a tragic past, Inej is the noble assassin with a heart of gold, Jesper is the charming gunslinger who shockingly has a gambling problem, and so on. It’s fun, but also predictable. And let’s not pretend the villains have any depth—they’re just there to be outsmarted. Still, the team dynamics are engaging enough to carry the book, even if some of the emotional beats feel like they were manufactured in a lab.

Atmosphere/Setting: 7/10

Ketterdam sounds gritty and immersive, but scratch beneath the surface, and it’s mostly crime-fantasy aesthetic. The city is a mishmash of Amsterdam and Dickensian London, but it never quite reaches the level of a fully realized world like The Lies of Locke Lamora or The Name of the Wind. It’s good enough to set the mood, but it often feels like the backdrop exists just to make the characters look cool rather than to function as a living, breathing place. Also, the Ice Court? Feels more like a conveniently designed heist level than an actual fortress.

Writing Style: 7/10

Bardugo’s writing is solid, but it sometimes leans a little too hard into “Look at how edgy and clever we are.” The dialogue is fun, but occasionally feels like it’s trying too hard to be snappy. The POV shifts are mostly smooth, but the frequent backstory dumps in the middle of tense scenes? Less so. And while the prose is engaging, it sometimes veers into melodrama—Kaz can’t just have a dark past, he must have the most tragic backstory of all time. Still, the book reads fast and keeps the intrigue alive, even when it stumbles.

Plot: 7/10

This is a heist story, which means it should be packed with tension, twists, and moments where everything almost goes wrong… except Kaz planned for it, because of course he did. The plot is good, but it’s also full of moments where it feels like the stakes aren’t actually that high. The crew faces obstacles, but the solutions always seem just within reach. Kaz is playing 4D chess while everyone else is playing Go Fish, which makes the whole thing feel less like a true gamble and more like a stylish flex. Fun? Absolutely. Believable? Not so much.

Intrigue: 9/10

Despite its flaws, Six of Crows is stupidly entertaining. Even when the story leans into its own clichés, I wanted to keep turning the pages. The shifting dynamics, character backstories, and ever-present sense of impending betrayal keep the tension alive. I was invested, even when I rolled my eyes at how absurdly competent these teenagers are. The book does a great job of making you care, even when it occasionally stretches credibility past its breaking point.

Logic/Relationships: 6/10

Kaz is practically a crime deity, Matthias’ Grisha-hatred gets resolved way too fast, and Jesper and Wylan’s chemistry is more because the plot says so than something that genuinely develops. Some relationships work (Kaz and Inej’s dynamic is great because it’s messy and unresolved), but others feel like they were written to fit a quota. Also, the world-building? A little wobbly. Magic rules and security protocols seem to adjust based on what’s convenient for the plot. There are moments when the book wants me to believe this crew is barely scraping by, but it’s hard to buy when their strategies always feel airtight.

Enjoyment: 8/10

I had fun. Annoyed fun, but fun. Yes, the book leans heavily on heist tropes. Yes, it sometimes feels like Ocean’s Eleven: YA Edition. Yes, Kaz’s “I’m always three steps ahead” shtick can get grating. But the snappy dialogue, high-stakes action, and found-family dynamics kept me engaged. It’s stylish, fast-paced, and entertaining, even when it occasionally feels a little too polished for its own good.

Final Verdict: 7.4/10

Six of Crows is like a high-budget action movie: full of great characters, thrilling moments, and slick dialogue, but if you think too hard about it, you’ll start seeing the cracks. If you’re here for an airtight, unpredictable heist with deep world-building, you might be a little disappointed. But if you want a fun, fast-paced adventure with a lovable crew of misfits, this is absolutely worth the ride—even if it sometimes feels like the safety net is a little too visible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, War, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

tiredtori's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

r3nst3r's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Racism, Blood, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

ashmeanything's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Wow, this book. I haven't taken so long to read something in quite a long time, but it was worth it. Immediately, the prose and command of the world hooked me, and the qualities I initially loved were fleshed out and present throughout the entire story. Bardugo clearly has an amazing ability to weave discrete and complex storylines together, disrupt and reset the status quo, and keep secrets from both the characters and the reader. Finishing this book was like unraveling more and more depth, making the painful and wonderful parts all stronger. The only things keeping it from a perfect rating are the sheer number of details that I had to remember and the very graphic descriptions of injury and bodily harm. Overall, though, this was excellent. I can't wait to read the next one.

Content warnings for xenophobia/racism, trafficking, child abuse, injury and medical content, violence, war, betrayal, genocide, addiction, slavery, and murder (all frequent) as well as bullying, guns, addiction, confinement, illness and child death, sexual harassment, and brief ableism and drug use.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (criminals, hard mode); also fits for first in a series, entitled animals, multi-POV (hard mode), character with a disability (hard mode), survival (hard mode), judge a book by its cover, and book club.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Ableism, Drug use, and Classism

iz___34's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-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

Love, love, love. Perfection. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

fightmeimsmall's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism

snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

oxfordcommas91's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I understand the hype for this series. Night and day for me from Shadow and Bone where I felt the characters were lackluster and the action felt really contrived. In comparison, Six of Crows is full of complicated and morally ambiguous protagonists and compelling, "what will happen next" sort of action. The twists and turns were endless, and the characters all had rich and well-developed backstories that gave you an interesting perspective on why they act they way they do. This book felt like a fantasy version of Oceans Eleven with traumatized teenagers, and I loved every minute of it. It all worked for me.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and War

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

joeyl22's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail