Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

31 reviews

dlrosebyh's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-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

3.75

Elsa is unique and seven years old. Her grandma is crazy—as in, standing on the balcony and shooing strangers with paintball guns—at the age of 77. Additionally, she is Elsa's one and only friend. In the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everyone is unique and nobody needs to fit in, Elsa seeks solace in her grandmother's tales at night. 

Elsa's biggest journey starts when her grandma passes away and leaves behind a collection of letters in which she expresses her regret to those she has mistreated. The directions given by her grandmother take her to an apartment complex filled with monsters, drunks, attack dogs, and elderly ladies, but they also reveal the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and introduce her to a grandma unlike any other.

I adore Fredrik Backman's writing style. I adore how he brings the intricacy of his characters to life in his writings. I really like the plot and the characters in this book, but one thing really got on my nerves: how frequently Harry Potter references were made. I understand that Elsa is young and that she should enjoy Harry Potter; she is free to act anyway she pleases. However, I don't want to read about Elsa being so enraged when someone hasn't read the books or seen the movies. I also don't want to read every two pages about the Gryffindor scarf. But aside from that, I think the book is both interesting and informative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse

cheekypearson's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I love Fredrik Backman and his insight into the human condition. He does a wonderful job of knitting these characters together and bringing their complexity to life. I found Elsa to be harder to identify with-maybe all the references to HP through me off-but the book had me in tears at the end. 

A+ writing-people just want to be seen. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Child death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse

Nothing is overwhelming or explicit but it is moving and a history with some of the topics might cause them to be triggering.

theonlybaillie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Blood, Violence, Stalking, Physical abuse, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

starklinqs's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

It was a good book, just not really for me! I think it was just a bit too slow and I couldn’t get into the POV. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

Minor: Car accident and Death

annaem's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Bullying

Minor: Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Child death, Violence, and Cancer

milesofkiles's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Death, and Grief

deepcurvesahead's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Bullying, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, War, Violence, Addiction, Stalking, and Gun violence

Minor: Pregnancy, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Alcohol, and Cancer

radfordmanor's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Addiction, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, and Cursing

marija2510's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

alessandravaron's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Grief, and War

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Stalking, War, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexism