Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

17 reviews

libwel's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death, Colonisation, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

zarhara's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, Grief, Colonisation, Death of parent, Classism, Alcohol, and Abandonment

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

schweibertsm's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

This is a mysterious and fascinating story about a young woman, her family and Egypt. The author does a great job painting the scenery and the story is elaborate. I felt like there was too much and I'm undecided whether I want to read the 2nd book and conclusion to the story. I'm wondering if maybe this type of book isn't quite my cup of tea

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Infidelity

leopardsheetcake's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Colonisation, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Violence, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, and Racism

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Infidelity

Minor: Animal death, Misogyny, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Vomit

bowedbookshelves's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Death, Gaslighting, and Murder

vanessamariebooks's review

adventurous mysterious slow-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

4.5

Check out our Diversity is Lit bookclub discussion (SPOILERS IN IT) to see my thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/live/QiXroIQC7-I?si=JVAbA9_LjOzdoHXv 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Grief

Minor: Cursing

bibliomania_express's review

3.5

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez is a historical fantasy steeped in 1880s Egypt. Inez is looking for answers about the death of her parents. She travels to Egypt from Buenos Aires to find out what happened, but nothing is as she expects when she arrives. Now she'll have to rely of her stubbornness and resilience to find out the truth. 

I'm conflicted about this book. On one hand, I absolutely enjoyed the atmosphere and the way Ibañez weaves history, politics, and culture into the narrative to make it feel very grounded. There are so many great details about the weather, the markets, the languages, and how people get around. I liked that Inez wasn't a push-over when it came to going after what she wanted. 

On the other hand, this book relies a bit too much on twists and the magic system isn't very well explained. It's a little unclear how common magical items are or how it all works. I was also annoyed at Inez for a lot of the book. While she stubbornly pushes forward, she also doesn't have great instincts and is somehow both too suspicious and too trusting. There's one major twist that became more obvious as the story went on. But the whole things relies on a bunch of people straight up refusing to communicate and I was annoyed at the lot of them. 

I'm also just mad at it for the cliffhanger ending. Of course I want to know what it's all about, which means waiting for the next book in the series. But the way these things go it's definitely more for shock factor than intrinsic truth

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Sexism, and Alcohol

lizzydreadful's review

adventurous 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Murder, Sexism, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Colonisation, Death of parent, Misogyny, Confinement, Grief, Alcohol, Death, and Emotional abuse

rachtmh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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? No

5.0

honestly don't know how to review this book without spoilers!!!! l'II do my best but I've selected spoilers just incase. 

Firstly, let me tel you the stages of reading this book: 

Wow such a pretty book 

Oh I love her 

Oh I love him 

Isabel how dare you! 

Oh I love this place 

Oh this is gonna be interesting 

Isabel how dare you! 

Wow 

Wow 

Dear god 

Wow wow 

One of the biggest cliffhangers of all time.... It upended my life! 

ISABEL HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

All the characters in this book have depth and are interesting. 

The story will have your mind whirling to keep up.... But in a good way. 

Love Egypt... This book is perfection. I was in awe of the authenticity and excitement and just wanted to be there in the book with them. 

Cannot wait for book 2, more of the MFP & MMP and once again, cannot stress enough.. 

ISABEL HOW DARE YOU!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

kemehlhorn99's review

adventurous 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Murder, and War