I have lots to say about this book so I'm going to try and break it all down for everyone. Starting with the aversion many have with this book. CuttingYes it is true our lead gal is a cutter. She self harms herself in about 8 described incidents (though I would argue that ones done for a spell are different), 4 of which are possibly graphic. I didn't think so but then again I dabbled with cutting as a teen myself and my husband had larger issues with it as a teenager. I think it's a really impor...

I am giving “The Suffering Tree” three stars for the sole reason that it had some promise. 2 1/2 would be my preference and 2 seems too low, so I rounded up.As I said above, there was some promise in the plot and characters. They were actually developed fairly well and the concept was unique. The problem is, none of it was capitalized on. It felt plodding with brief moments of hope, only to have them almost immediately dashed. And I would be remiss if I neglected to mention this: There is self-h...

This had to be the most unique and unexpected novel i read all year. What starts off​ looking like a YA novel, turns out not to be one. At least not fully. While it has YA elements in it, it spices it up with fantasy, anxiety, cutting, promises, curses that lead to time travel, of sorts & voodoo for good measure.It will might take you a while to get into the book but once it hooks its claws into you it will be hard to let it go. If you get emotional while reading books, this one will give you al...

(I received an ARC of this book on NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.)I finished this book a few days ago, and I have carried it with me since then, trying to talk myself into it.I enjoyed so many things about this book until I realized that the biggest obstacle would never be resolved:This book glorifies and romanticizes self-harm, to the point where it is actually the means through which the protagonist actualizes her goal. None of her friends call her on th...

Been wanting to read this book for ages now. Because it looks gorgeous; love that cover so much. And it sounded pretty good too. Finally got to read it, but oh, I'm pretty disappointed. Giving it two stars. Which break my heart a little, because I really wanted and expected to love this book. How rude. But it was so different.Like, the goodreads summary is not very correct at all. It doesn't mention at all that Tori is cutting herself. And that she has been harming herself all the time for month...

This book was incredible! A perfect blend of mystery, history, and romance that kept me at the edge of my seat. I couldn't put the book down once I started reading.

Trigger warning for self harm Let's start with the good aspects before I get critical and start rambling. I loved the base for the story. It was witchy and creepy and the atmosphere of the novel was great. Plus that cover??? Holy shit I'm in love. I liked the flashbacks Tori sees through her dreams from Emmeline. This would have been a fantastic novel, easily one of my fav suspenses... if there was no self-harm (or at the very least, a warning for it).I'm going to put the self-harm discussion

Thank you to Negalley and Disney-Hyperion for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review. Tori has recently moved to Maryland, her family has inherited a plot of land and house just in the nick of time. Since Tori's dad died they have lost everything and had no choice but to move from DC to this small town in Maryland. Even though she finds it strange that they have a random plot of land in the middle of the Slaughter family farm. Tori also cuts, but her mom knows about that so when she he...

Buddy read with salty mr. Thiccccc

Elle Cosimano's The Suffering Tree is a story that is rich in history and mystery! This tale was so twisted and filled with dark secrets that it made for quite the page-turning experience. Alas, I found it somewhat lacking in some areas. Though the story was enough to keep me hooked, I still felt a bit confused with all the secret keeping.After her dad died, Tori and her family find themselves moving into a house that is apparently in their family and came at the right time since they were evict...

Trigger warning: Self-harm is an ongoing subject in this book.Got a copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.This is the kind of story that I've never read before. It seems a historical romance but there are fantasy elements as well. Not sure if this book would be YA in my opinion because of the harsh subjects in the book.This review was first posted on BiteIntoBooks BlogProsEnding: The ending was a good one. I felt satisfied with the ending, which should be the case if

My reviews are first published on [a cup of tea and an armful of books].Warning: I discuss cutting and the inclusion of it in The Suffering Tree in this review.When I finished The Suffering Tree and read reviews of it I asked myself if I read the same book as these other reviewers because I absolutely do not have feelings of this being a five, four, or even three star book. The initial look at the book, aka the summary, had me hooked. It seemed right up my alley: it has a curse, a mystery, and a...

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free review copy in exchange for an honest reviewSo, I've heard a lot about this author. Mainly chatter on her first two books, Nearly Gone and Nearly Found but I haven't read either of them despite the fact they seem right up my alley just as The Suffering Tree was right up my alley. It checks all the boxes. Dark magic. Family Secrets. Historical. The works really. But the book didn't quite wow me enough to say it's anything more then an "eh."Just to get t...

****I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.**I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this book after seeing some of the reviews on Goodreads. I always try and read books with an open mind though, so I hunkered down to start the book.The first thing I want to point out is that this book does contain detailed self-harming. The main character Tori self-harms throughout the majority of the book. Maybe there should have been a noti...

Trigger Warning, as the topic of self-harm is discussed at length in this review Plot at a Glance:Tori Burns and her family find themselves living in small-town USA after suddenly and unexpectedly inheriting a house under mysterious circumstances. Moving to Chaptico, Maryland puts Tori and her family at odds with most of the tightly knit town and sparks a rivalry between Tori and Jesse Slaughter, as its his family's land the Burns have "stolen." The feud is put on the backburner one incredible n...

DNF at 45%The synopsis was interesting, but what really sold it for me was the comparison to Mara Dyer. I went into this book with really high hopes. Tori was an okay MC. She's going through some things and an upheaval in her life and her coping mechanism is cutting. It happens often and in scenes where it's not happening, she's constantly pushing on the healing wounds. Sadly, that habit seemed to define her. Nathaniel and Tori's friends Drew and Magda had potential, but they fell flat....and th...

My thanks to NetGalley and Disney Book Group-Hyperion for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.This book NEEDS a warning of some sort. There are some VERY graphic images of cutting/self harm in this book, which can negatively affect someone who is thinking about doing it, is currently doing it or who has suffered from it. Just walking into it without any warning can be harmful. It also shows it in a "positive" light in that when the MC hurts herself, she gets this hot guy who cares about...

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy. THE SUFFERING TREE has themes teens will identify with but the plot holes and writing style overwhelm and distract from the overall novel. Tori Burns and her family move to Chaptico when they are bequeathed a house and plot of land. After her father’s death, Tori is depressed and angry. She’s a cutter who already feels like she doesn’t fit in and living in the close-knit town just isolates her further. When her blood accidentally raises Nathaniel Bish...

DNF at 67%This was a frustrating read. It felt as though it had been written by two different people. There were two narrators that were written in 1st and 3rd person and it just didn't work well together. I actually much preferred the 1st person style, that particular character and his story whereas the modern day MC was dull and the writing equally so. In fact her parts could have done with some serious editing as there was just so much unnecessary fillers which included her self harming which...

This whole mission to get my Netgalley to queue zero has really highlighted how my tastes have evolved and changed over time with book blogging. The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano is a book I would have been all over three years ago. Now, however, I enjoyed it but it wasn’t a new favorite. I do not see myself re-reading this book. Looking back, I kind of wish I had read this one during the fall because it sure is evocative of autumn – moodwise, not so much season-wise.Read my full review here