Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

115 reviews

dreamreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

What a profound, sad, haunting, hopeful little book. I've seen very mixed reviews on this, with some reviewers seeming to be upset that the book is, in fact, centered on women talking, without any other plot. But to me, and to my personal tastes, there is something truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring in witnessing these women making, perhaps for the first time ever, a decision for themselves. I loved this. I'm so glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Domestic abuse

dobsonfly314's review

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Rape

kirbykirbs11's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

musicalkat16's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Violence, Sexism, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Incest, Dementia, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Cursing, and Death of parent

annahollamby's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

Compelling and profound. Not a fan of the fact that the story is told from the perspective of a male narrator, though I understand the reasoning. I hate, with every fibre of my being, that it is based on real-life events. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Deadnaming

nellamaneiro's review

dark emotional funny inspiring medium-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? N/A

4.5

Toews’ storytelling is clever and inventive. The book is told through the eyes of a man, which I was first confused by, but Toews’s writing quickly convinced me it was the best choice. This book achieves an imagined re-telling of true events that feels so authentic. I was expecting a depressing read, but found the complete opposite. It describes a patriarchy so cruel it makes you question God, but the women are somehow able to make sense of it and separate man’s evil from God’s will. Their faithfulness is not the end of them. Overall a fascinating exploration of the thousands of social ties that force women into complex decision-making and paradoxical philosophy. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse and Incest

alyssa2012's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Misogyny, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Slavery, Incest, Infidelity, and Self harm

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Fire/Fire injury

yoe's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring slow-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed the audiobook. 
I originally started reading it as an ebook and I enjoyed the very beginning but it is a slow, character-driven so I ended up putting it down for a while. But glad I got the audiobook. There’s little plot so it’s a hard book to recommend but it still felt like a powerful story 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse

diothyst's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

1.0

This book should be a deeply reflective, poignant narrative of the complicated feelings/emotions of multiple women coming to terms with what has happened to them, the questions they raise about their faith and its interpretation, and their struggle to determine how to address the matter in a short time frame is instead a view into the mind of a man of the colony. The book lacks any true look into the women, and you are instead bombarded with August's thoughts and opinions, his nonsensical metaphors/analogies, and his desperation for anything Ona does to be romantic towards him. He completely overshadows the women in the book and often his own experiences and troubles become the focus during situations. He is an unlikeable narrator and in turn many of the women become unlikeable when we are not given the proper chance to view the happenings through their eyes and why they are reacting the way they are. For what the book is about, it greatly misses the mark on what it could have been. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

emma_likes_plants's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse