Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Every Body Looking

Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh

20 reviews

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? No

3.5

This was a beautifully written, heavily autobiographical story of Ada, trying to fit into a world of conflicting messages. Never feeling enough for those she loves, lacking privacy and information on her body and growing up, this was an emotional story told in verse.

The slice of life style of this was easy to listen to, despite the hardhips Ada went through. I still enjoyed seeing her grow into herself and find her identity as she navigated home, school, tumultuous relationships and toxic family.

Ultimately, Ada's story was about distancing oneself from the emotional abuse and finally loving for you and only you.

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thebookgiraffe's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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jacesherman's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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cstark's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

Poetry telling a story. Beautiful

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christcore's review against another edition

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3.5

I wanted to like it, but it was meandering and didn’t have a clear resolution. The queer content is subtext in a college friendship. The story is about her learning to embrace herself and find her love of dancing, but dancing is mentioned fairly infrequently. She talks more about drawing dancers than doing it herself.
CW: Childhood sexual assault by family member & humiliating experience revealing it during a medical exam.

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moniipeters's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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quasosnake's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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lucifer_morningstar13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This was a really honest take on how stifling growing up with parents who favor god and faith over anything else. Adah's father was so focused on her outwardly being a good Christian girl, that he never once stopped to ask or even think about what Adah wanted to do, what she wanted to major in, what she wanted to make of her life. She doesn't ever even feel close enough to him to

tell him that she was sexually assaulted at the age of 6. She knows enough about how he thinks of women in this ultra-religious view to avoid telling him anything that would make him view her as lesser. Just imagine having to carry that burden around, never telling anyone and carrying the weight of thinking you're less than for an act someone did to you.

I enjoyed this read, though painful, and was happy to see

Adah finally start to make decisions for herself and by herself, even though the book ends on a massive cliffhanger.

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octoberof2003's review

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reflective fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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savannahtrice's review

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.25

I loved this! The story was amazing and well written. I think I would've loved it more if it were written normally, rather than in verse, but I adored Iloh's writing and world building nonetheless. I found myself relating a lot to Ada and cheering her on the whole book. A super quick and powerful read that I would recommend to anyone!
Favorite lines:
-"that when I tell my body to move
it can
when I tell my body to feel
it can
when I tell my body to stretch
it can
when I tell my body to try
it can
and every time
I go a little further
and every time
I learn my body is mine
and every time
I learn my body's wishes
are my command"
-"Words are powerful
unless they're not biblical
unless they're not written by men
unless they're unlike
Jesus's spit itself
why can't I pray outside of his name?
why is my name not enough?"
-"But what I discover now
is that fire can live in your bones
that betrayal can
strike the match and light your
greatest fears ablaze"
-"Mommy could not put her hands where she hurt
she hurt where I could not see
waking in the night's middle
on my weekend visits
would mean waking
to her deep sobs
about something I never would know
when I never knew mothers could
cry like their children"
-"I was waiting for this mama that I know
this mama I've always got to be
careful with
this mama who is more thorn
than rose petal
this mama always a ticking time bomb
ready to explode
this mama who's missing someone
she always hurts
this mama who wishes I'd just
call sometimes
think of her
some days
remember that
no matter what
it's her that I came from
it's still her that I owe
for the pain"

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