Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Stealing by Margaret Verble

5 reviews

sjanke2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Racism, Classism, Genocide, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Addiction, and Alcoholism

burnourhistory's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Terminal illness, Murder, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Blood, Animal death, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

reading_rainbow_with_chris's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

“Stealing” by Margaret Verble

CW: Rape, child abuse

Kit is a young Cherokee girl who has experienced a lot of sadness for her age, but her indomitable spirit and curiosity about the world keeps her moving forward. Her curiosity is what leads her to meet the woman who moved into her late Uncle Joe’s cabin, and her world starts to unfold around her. I am deliberately trying to be vague in this review because a significant amount of the impact of the book is how Verble passes the revelation of information, so I will stop with any indication of the plot. What I will say is that Verble has a deft hand at handling sensitive topics. She doesn’t shy away from hard moments, but they still have a sense of delicacy to them in a way that shows they aren’t about excess or shock; they are needed for the narrative. My one critique for the novel is that I don’t particularly care for the narrator voice. For me, it felt as if Verble were trying to write with three different voices: author, 9-year old Kit, and older Kit. As a result, I don’t feel I got a clear sense of character in the voice. However, it’s not so far off; a minor adjustment in any direction would give it more character, and it is certainly not such a distraction as to take away from this heartwrenching and important novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Child abuse

Minor: Gun violence and Alcoholism

readingtomydogs's review

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I really loved the perspective, told by a 9 year old girl. It was so insightful and raw, your heart just broke for Kit. But I loved her grit and resolve, passed down by her grandmother, mother, and aunts and uncles.  It showed the horrors of residential schools for Native children and how religion can be a tool for evil. I liked that the ending was open-ended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Rape, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Racism, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Alcoholism, Grief, Animal death, and Colonisation

annabulkowski's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Homophobia, Medical content, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Sexual harassment, and Terminal illness