Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

397 reviews

ckiyoko's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

2.5

This is a really well-crafted book, works with form and POV in really interesting ways, and felt like a very propulsive read. For all that though, I could not decide when I was reading it if I was enjoying it. I cared enough to continue reading, but I got to the end and still was uncertain if I enjoyed the experience of reading it, or would recommend it to someone else. I will say, the NPC chapter is beautiful and the callbacks in it feel earned.

I'm also deeply Not Thrilled with "Solution" being a blatant ripoff of Brenda Romero's "Train" that goes uncredited, especially given this book deals so heavily with the power dynamics in video game design and how often women are overlooked/uncredited. 

For me, I also struggled with some of the moments of the book that felt like they handwaved the concept of cultural appropriation, and later the soapbox moments about how sensitive the newer generation is. They felt a bit out of place, and more like the bubbling up of some deeper seated anxiety from the author than something coming from the characters' reactions to their place and situations. 

I felt this similarly in the explorations of Sam's experience as being mixed EAsian and white, which felt like they tread the same ground that's been tread before/existed more as a justification for the existence of mixed white and Asian people. I don't know exactly how to phrase it. It was just something that was off-putting to me as someone who is in that category because it feels like it's re-litigating the same conversation we've been having for years and played to the same tropes and lines, which felt...recursive? Like it flattened a complex and nuance experience to a monolith? I'm not sure, but at the very least, I found it exhausting to hear the same talking points I heard in middle and high school here. There was an element of self-consciousness to the explorations of this that felt, again, like someone else's insecurities about their identity bubbling up here rather than the character.

But yeah, pretty wild book. Well written, but felt kind of like a liminal space turned into a novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

tiffanymmf's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, and Car accident

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Suicidal thoughts

freshbatchofbooks's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Abortion, and Cultural appropriation

audreytrml's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

ibi99's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Blood, Car accident, and Abortion

charlottereads_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, and Murder

asacco9642's review against another edition

reflective slow-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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Infidelity, Rape, Car accident, and Abandonment

Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

chuck_thechick's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

polanito's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

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

5.0

It had been so long since any book had got me hooked this fast before. The pace of the book is perfect for that and the way the author tells the stories, the characters and everything just left me coming back for more.
I really enjoyed reading it. It's emotional and introspective.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

jaclynrei's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This is a book about sexism, racism, abuse, trauma, love, and grief under the guise of a lighthearted story following a band of video game developers. Two childhood bestfriends are reunited under the prospect of creating a novel game together. During its publication and subsequent success, factors such as race, class, and gender shape the trajectories of each character and create a schism between the group which grows and wanes over time. Each character is multidimensional and is not reduced to any one of their features or flaws. The characters are not always likeable, and I found my own shortcomings within the main characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to subject themselves to slight emotional devastation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Death of parent, and Classism