Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

134 reviews

dobsonfly314's review against another edition

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

kirbykirbs11's review against another edition

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 against another edition

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

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

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

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

nellamaneiro's review against another edition

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 against another edition

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

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

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

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: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

emma_likes_plants's review against another edition

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

bookdragonkatie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Vomit, and Pregnancy