Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

32 reviews

jessiejonesbentley's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia

marigoldgem's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Violence, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Blood, and Body horror

julieyael's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was absolutely not what I was expecting (I bought it as a horrir book. Well, it’s about another, more real, kind of horror)
I enjoyed the way it’s written bringing tension to the story. 

I would have liked a deeper character building, but the novel is quite short, so maybe there was not space for it. 

I also felt that the particularities of the characters were a bit forced. It’s interesting and nice to find such a diverse set of characters and families, but sometimes it felt a bit artificial. 

Maybe if it had been written as an adult novel, not YA, it would have been more to my taste. 

Overall, the book finds its purpose and is a good read, and I am sure it will find a good audience and be useful and meaningful to a lot of people. 
It just didn’t « click » for me. 
I am glad I read it once, but it probably wonnt go on my list of novels that I can read twice (or more). 

Also, the subject is pretty heavy and the warnings should be taken seriously. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Rape, and Violence

town_scar's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

If you can listen to the audiobook, you really should. It felt like I was watching a movie. The narrator does an impeccable job. This really held my attention throughout and kept me on the edge of my seat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Blood

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship

The monster's acts are alluded to without ever being described. The only physical description given is a mention of bruises, but there is no elaboration beyond that. Any adult can read between the lines of what happened. It may not be apparent to some younger children/teens.

oddlyghoul's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, Transphobia, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Classism, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Islamophobia, Violence, and War

clhtdr's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Incest, and Adult/minor relationship

wytherwytch's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia

Minor: War, Vomit, and Blood

modernmatilda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Hmm I have mixed feelings about this. 

On one hand, NPR compared it to Wrinkle in Time (my fav) and I very much think it's a readalike. It has biblical undertones, kids having to handle things with the adults help, and this overall feeling of doom.

As another reviewer wrote, "Pet is the gorgeous story of a young black trans woman taking it into her own hands to see the unseen, and to protect the vulnerable, even when it means upsetting the balance of her life.".

I loved the first half; watching Pet come out of the painting, getting to know Jam, seeing them interact with other characters through sign language, it was all fantastic. 

But I had no idea this story was explicitly about child abuse. The emotions in this book were heartbreaking and big and messy and raw and HEAVY. I don't know if the message was clear and helpful for a middle grade reader... 

I thought the "perfect world can still be impect, need to grow, and have hidden flaws" was another sad part of the book. The story deserves the accolades it has received for its originality, representation, and heart.

But overall, it made me feel hopeless...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

mayaism_01's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

I honestly don't know how to describe why this book is so brilliant. I've only heard great things about Akwaeke Emezi so I've been looking forward to (and slightly intimidated by) their books. I think Pet is one of the most intelligent presentations of how we confront change and progress in society. 

We see everything through the eyes of Jam - who is such a loveable and empathetic character - living in a world that is seemingly perfect and we watch as that idea of a perfect and safe world slowly crumbles. This book would be a great way to introduce children to activism, but also great at reminding adults that activism is never finished. Emezi makes you confront what you think is the wrong and right thing to do, what evil and monsters look like, and forces you to learn to be okay with being uncomfortable. This was just so so so good, I can't wait to read more of Emezi's work.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

amre23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Incest

Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Ableism, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Deadnaming, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Dysphoria, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Medical content, Suicide, Police brutality, Cursing, and Sexual violence