Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

48 reviews

zias's review

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Torture, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail

liquorcanthropy's review

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective fast-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Slavery, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Misogyny

kbairbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

CHILLS. The rage, the revenge, the sit down little boy and let me handle it. Everything. I have been waiting for a book like this my whole life. I absolutely loved it. I want to reread it this instant. Absolutely stunning and I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK TWO.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Gaslighting, Child death, Cursing, Body shaming, Grief, Colonisation, Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Mental illness, Biphobia, Blood, Classism, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, and War

themiscyra_anna's review against another edition

fast-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: Alcoholism, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexism, Rape, Trafficking, Drug abuse, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Classism, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Body shaming

alfspoilerspren's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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

BEST STAND ALONE NOVEL I HAVE READ IN MY WHOLE LIFE

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Biphobia, Body shaming, Violence, and War

phantasmfiend's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Classism, Child abuse, Torture, Violence, Toxic relationship, Gore, Alcoholism, Murder, Death, Bullying, War, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Addiction

jessiereads98's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-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

4.75

Iron Widow is amazing. The story is fast paced and every time I put it down, I immediately wanted to pick it back up. All of the characters were complex and dimensional. I love how Xiran Jay Zhao wrote all of the female characters, especially Wu Zetian, and the exploration of how the society subjugates women and what that turns them into. The plot twist was surprising without seeming to come completely out of left field for the sake of having one. 

This does at times read heavily YA, with the points being made feeling a little blunt or clunky rather than completely well integrated in the story so that the reader easily arrives at them. I think the story overall may have been stronger if it leaned heavier adult or new adult. My only real complaints are that occasionally the diction threw me a bit out of the story, and the beginning is a bit exposition heavy.

Overall, I’m really looking forward to the sequel.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Death, and Murder

Minor: Blood, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Child abuse, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and War

ender24's review

challenging dark funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

DAMN.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Gaslighting, Genocide, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, War, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia

ajhling's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is not just gold tier, but platinum tier. It's such a great book that I have technically brought two copies of - the paperback (which I brought first) and the audio (which I brought so I can listen while driving or playing video games). I have all intentions of buying an E-Book version in the near future so I'll always have a copy on hand. 

This book has characters that are mostly grey at best, and down right evil at worst. Our protagonist is a ball of rage and is someone who would be seen as the villain in many works of fiction. I love it. Even her romantic partners are on the verge of being villains in other works of fiction. 

My favourite part besides the plot and our protagonist and her romantic partners, and the world as a whole?

The fact that there's no explicit sex scenes which have impregnated the publishing industry these days. Meaning you have a book that treats its readers like the older teens and adults that we are without having to worry about sex scenes because it's aimed towards an older teen, recent high school graduate age range, which apparently means sex most be included un the eyes of modern publishers.

I'm so hoping that the lack of explicit sex scenes continues onto the next book/s in the series (though even if they were present I'd still buy/read them anyway).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Rape, Homophobia, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Violence, Body shaming, Racism, and Alcohol

smg's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Alcoholism

Moderate: War, Murder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Toxic relationship