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val_theburrowofstories's reviews
354 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It’s such a short story and yet the pace of the story was a little bit slow, but I listened to this as an audiobook so it helped because the narrator does such a good job.
I did not read the synopsis of this book before starting it (I added it to my TBR a year ago so I didn’t remember) and I did not expect to find fantasy and magic with demons and angels, but I liked that aspect of the book!
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
I don’t think these are spoilers because they’re mentioned in the first couple of chapters:
- Blood / Murder / Death: There’s a serial killer out there killing people and leaving the crime scene full of blood.
- Car accident / Death of parent / Grief: Helen’s parents die in a car accident.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I know heroes and villains depend on who is telling the story, and I fucking know USA is no saint, but fuuuck Germany and Japan were SHIT, like NOTHING can justify this bullshit. Just like right now nothing can justify Israel's genocide in Palestine. And actually, the leaders in USA are also fucking bullshit because of that.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Child death, Torture, and Medical content
Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
I think it's important to let readers now how these content warnings appear in this kind of book:
- War / Gun Violence / Violence: Set in World War II, the book begins in Manila when it's still free and then the war gets there.
- Blood / Gore: There's people injured, and I say gore because there's two people who die from an explosion and the way it's described...
- Medical content: Eleanor, Lita and Penny are nurses so of course there's a lot of this involved.
- Death / Child death: Victims of the Japanese.
- Torture:
- Sexual content: Eleanor finds a couple having sex on her bed and is shocked by it.
- Death of parent: Lita's parents are dead and she thinks of them often.
- Grief: From everything happening, grief for the people they lose.
- Rape: I was so scared to read this happening to any of the girls, but thank God it doesn't. I still include it because Lita saved another girl from getting raped, and there's a lot of mention about how that's how the Japanese treat women prisoner and what they did on The Nanjing Massacre and I just felt so sick.
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The Raven King was a 2 ⭐for me, it had so much potential and it didn’t delivered for me.
I guess it was entertaining enough for me to not DNF this.
But when I’m mad that a book disappoints I just can’t stop talking so here it is with spoilers and no filters (all just out of my chest, so if you love this book better not read this):
- I was so done with this book that I listened to the audiobook at 2x speed, I just wanted it over.
- What was the point of Artemus? They were talking about him on 2 books, Maura freaking left her family to find him, and when they finally do he’s useless. I’m actually mad Persephone died for that and we never even see Maura caring that much about loosing her.
- Gwenllian was also useless.
- What do you mean Noah was there in the house, I don’t get what happened to him in the end.
- So many things I didn’t get, like- Ronan dreamt of a little girl??? And yeah yeah Ronan you’re soooo powerful you can dream a lot of stuff, yeah yeah 🙄
- I didn’t get the whole thing with Piper, Neeve and the demon, and it didn’t mean anything because Piper dies anyways killed by her father? And what happened to her husband whose name I can’t even remember?
- 4 books looking for Glendowell and he was just bones and dust 😭 what a waste.
- I don’t think I ever bought the whole “Blue and Gansey love each other and they’re going to be forever” thing. I hate that I didn’t care about any of these characters in the end. I didn’t see the romance or connection or things in common.
- Oh my God I just remembered, Ronan kissing Adam? Please 😭 look, I love my lgbt romance, but that was just ridiculous, the author was this close to make them a forever couple too when there was no chemistry or romance at all for 3 and a half books and then suddenly a kiss is supposed to make them fall in love? At least I guess Ronan finally kissed his crush and Adam won’t be annoying wanting a kiss anymore.
- This Henry guy suddenly being part of the group felt wrong.
- Gansey is about to die and neither of his friends at least hugs him? What a “found family” and I just had to LAUGH with the “I’m ready to die, kiss me” LMAOOOO I could not take this seriously. I don’t even get how they bring him back, with the power of love I guess!
- Reminder that you don’t need or have to forgive your abusive parents just so you keep being a good child!!!
Happiest moment reading this book was when it was finally over lmao 😭
Ronan has this dream power, and yet (TO ME) he wasn't that interesting in this series to make him a whole freaking trilogy of his own- that’s 3 books out of my TBR.
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
In my opinion, Margaret and Helen are characters ahead of it's time. It’s actually surprising to me to remember this was written by a man because the way the sisters behaved I kept waiting for some other character to call them out or make a big negative comment, but apart from some minor comments from Mr. Wilcox that didn’t happen and I’m glad.
My favorite one was Margaret definitely, she got married when she was around 30 yo (when that’s odd for women back then), openly saying she’s glad she doesn’t have children, was never afraid to say what she was thinking or be involved in topics not common for women or act on what she thought it was right.
Mrs. Wilcox had some old ideas about women but honestly she was the only decent person in that family. Everyone else either did something bad or barely appears. Also,
Graphic: Murder and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent
There’s spoilers ahead, so read with caution:
Classism: Talk about the poor and the rich.
Sexism / Misogyny: This book was written in 1910, so… clearly some outdated ideas about women, but it isn't as bad as I expected.
Death of parent / Grief: Happens near the beginning.
Infidelity:
Pregnancy: Happens near the end.
Murder: Happens near the end.
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Blood and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Here is the specifics of the content warnings I selected, and it’s very vague so there’s no spoilers:
Panic Attack: At the very beginning, when they're exploring the cave and something happens to one of them he says "I think I'm having a panic attack"
Domestic abuse / Child abuse: Adam father coming to his apartment and him thinking about the old abuse, and mention of the trial.
Gun Violence / Violence / Blood / Death: Someone killing someone and a fight by the end.
Death of parent: Two of the kids seeing a vision of their parents dead.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 66%.
- Thins I got from this book: 1) If I was a chipmunk I would be Simon, 2) this author will recommend her other books every few pages (and I did not even finish this one)
- I feel like at this point in my life, everything she's saying: 1) I've already heard, 2) It's incredibly common sense to me, and 3) I can find on the Internet anyway because I'm always looking for productivity videos.
- So yeah, I'm getting my shit together by DNFing books I'm not enjoying lol bye 👋
- 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
This is a young adult book with fantasy elements and magic! Which is perfect for me, but if you’re looking for romance this isn’t it (like AT ALL, and I’m okay with that but I know it’s a deal breaker for some people), also, the fantasy is very low in the beginning but after a few chapters is there.
I liked Miryem from the second we met her, I don’t care if she’s “cold” or “ambitious” for others, to me she was caring for her family, doing the job, she was organized, really wise, not afraid of anything and always with a plan, proud of her religion and loyal to the people she loves until the very end. I just love her.
I was rooting for Wanda all the time, I just wanted her to be okay in the end, be free from her father, find her way and have a good and happy life. She’s such a hardworking girl, smart and quick learner, but overall she has a lot of courage and is ready to protect her family from anyone (even if it’s a demon or a scary King!)
Then we have Irina who I also came to love by the end. She looked weak in the beginning but she quickly adapted to her new reality, she was protective of her people and so brave. I just love women plotting, taking action, involved in politics, always with a plan and one step ahead!
I loved these girls so much! I’m tired of reading about girls who just go and do whatever without thinking, no plans, making things worse and not caring about the others. But Miryem, Wanda and Irina? They have such different backgrounds and yet their main qualities were being hardworking, really smart, brave and protective over their love ones. Honestly? I feel like that’s just me, in each girl I saw myself reflected and maybe that’s part of why I loved them.
When you are reading this book, I understand why some people might find it boring, but to me it was as if I was enchanted by it, so focus on the story and the characters with this beautiful writing. Besides the audiobook helped and I knew when the POV changed from one girl to another (or sometimes another character), it was so addictive and interesting.
So yeah, I don’t think this book is for everyone but I still recommend you give it a try if the premise sounds interesting to you.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual content
Here is a list of the content warnings and how is it that they’re present in the book, if you don’t want spoilers just skip this part:
Death of parent / Grief: Wanda lost her mother when she was eleven years old.
Child death: Wanda’s mother had a lot of babies but I think they died soon after being born or were stillborn.
Domestic abuse / Child abuse / Alcoholism / Violence: Wanda’s father was a really bad man, beating his three children for years and spending most of his money on alcohol.
Sexual content: There is just talk around the topic or slight mention of it, not explicit at all.
Misogyny / Sexism: Because Wanda’s father would just give her in exchange for a pig or alcohol. And there’s some other instances.
- 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
3.0
Things I liked:
- I really liked that this was a dual pov and we could read what was going on in their heads so it wasn’t just from one and then we would get it all wrong, we knew what each girl was thinking and understand better their decisions / actions.
- Thank God I finally found a contemporary romance book where the characters TALK, they communicate like ADULTS, but then that was ruined by the end…
- I really liked seeing them together as friends and then as a couple because we saw how their relationship progressed.
Things I disliked:
- I don’t like insta love and this felt a little bit like that because Gemma kept repeating how Tansey isn’t her type at all and yet could not stop thinking about how pretty she is, and of course Tansey was one of those girls who keeps thinking she’s not pretty.
- I wish we saw a little bit more of their relationship with their friends instead of their shitty families.
- This book had my blood boiling and wishing this was a fantasy book so I could see the two assholes getting tortured after what they did, but especially that guy, ugh, so infuriating.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol
Listing the trigger warnings and explaining them on how they happen in the book, if anyone is interested to know before reading this book:
Sexual content: There's a couple of sexual scenes between the main characters.
Sexual harassment / Bullying / Toxic relationship: These three go tight together. One of the main characters was in a relationship with this guy in high school, and this guy took pictures of her naked and shared them with the whole school.
Death of parent / Grief: One of the main characters lost her parents years ago but she's still grieving.
Misogyny: I strongly believe the reason why this rich family didn't want her to get the company is just because she's a woman.
Alcohol: Near the very end one of the main characters gets very drunk.
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Can we just talk about the way Blue has the boys all wrapped around her little finger in this book? As if these boys never saw a girl in their life and she’s just like “not like other girls”, and I just don’t like that. (the only one safe from her is Ronan
Not plot important but I find it funny how every single Matthew I know has curly hair.
Not going to lie, I didn’t understand much about this Gray Man and it’s because I didn’t care either and got lost by the end, just listening without paying much attention because of personal stuff, but so little happens in these books that it doesn’t matter.
The one thing I did like a lot was how we were learning about Ronan’s powers and why his father left those rules in his will about the house.
Anyways, I feel like I would enjoy more these books if I finish them in 1 or 2 days instead of taking a week to read them.
I read other reviews and I’m sad I’m just not one of the girls who gets this book, I really hope the next books are better for me.
Moderate: Suicide and Blood
The two trigger warning I’m pointing out are something that happened in Book 1 but are explained in this book. I personally don’t believe it’s a spoiler:
Suicide and blood: No one committed suicide. It’s just that, as is mention in Book 1, Ronan was found by his friends covered in blood and they just assumed he had tried to kill himself, but here we found out what really happened is that he got attacked in his dream and the damage that was done to him appeared in reality too.