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Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman
17 reviews
jvbook_reader's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Cancer
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Murder, and Incest
dogearedbooks's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, and Homophobia
geminireader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child death, Sexual violence, Rape, Incest, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
thefragranthand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Excrement, Domestic abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Trafficking and Mental illness
Minor: Vomit, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Cancer, Blood, Suicide, Torture, and Gaslighting
killerwhaletank's review
- 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
The story covers three “cases” that sisters Augusta and Julia partake in, each one with some dark themes of abuse and mistreatment of women and children. Essentially it’s like three novellas tied together with overarching main story. It starts with the sisters retrieving a letter for a friend, which sets them on a path of what Augusta feels is true usefulness… helping those women that have no one else. Along the way they enlist the aid of their butler Weatherly, Lord Evan Belford (former nobleman turned highwayman) and others. They’re a Regency sort of “A-Team”.
The characters are fantastic. Rich, well-developed… particularly Augusta who is the one we follow (told from her perspective). They are realistic, compassionate women… and unlike in a romance novel, their reactions and the restrictions, particularly for two spinster women, is very darkly realistic.
The book is satisfying in its resolution, but has left a lot of stories unfinished (Augusta’s relationship with her brother Duffy, Lord Evan’s future, Mr. Kent and Julia, etc.). I hope that this means there is another book in the works. I would love to read more about these wonderful and amazing women.
This book is what Sarah Maclean’s Hell’s Belles SHOULD have been… if it had been more realistic, and the writing is fantastic.
Read the afterward by the author as well, it’s very, very interesting.
Such a great read, I was completely blown away by the quality of this book.
Graphic: Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, Trafficking, and Sexual assault
Minor: Rape, Racism, and Homophobia
woofpack's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Cancer, and Trafficking
smiti_nathan's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Body horror, Blood, Violence, Cancer, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Grief, Classism, Death, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Child death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Torture, Child death, Death of parent, Racism, Slavery, Murder, Outing, and Rape
sugarloaf's review
4.0
I didn't entirely click with Augusta as the protagonist, who was just a tad too unlikely and stereotypical for me to suspend my disbelief, but I certainly enjoyed the many side characters in this book, particularly Lord Evan, and I liked the relationship between Julia and Augusta. It was a very good portrayal of two people who are quite different to each other, but their bond and willingness to fight for the other strengthens both of them.
The plot was good fun. I liked that Augusta and Julia were definitely amateurs and went into things with half formed plans or without having accounted for most scenarios; it was very realistic for their station and added to the hijinks and stakes. It also gets into the dark underbelly of regency England with domestic abuse, child sex trafficking and "madhouses" and the torture within them all examined. It did a good job balancing the horror and gravitas with the humour.
We are clearly set up for another book and I hope Goodman delivers. Also, side note, this is the same author that wrote Eon and Eona? I don't remember much of them except enjoying them a lot, but they're very different books to this. Goodman clearly has range.
Graphic: Excrement, Medical content, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Cancer
rhi_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gore, Emotional abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Blood, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Murder, Child abuse, Classism, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Death, and Eating disorder
Minor: Vomit, Pedophilia, Mental illness, and Deportation
rlse's review
2.75
Graphic: Cancer and Domestic abuse