Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

When the World Didn't End by Guinevere Turner

5 reviews

ashlobennett's review

dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

3.5

I have so much respect and appreciation for someone to tell their story and truth. I knew nothing of Ms. Turner or the moon people so this book was a total surprise. I loved that it was read by the author. You felt her fierce anger and lived in her story as she told it. It did however feel short in the sense that you only got the scope of her story in the middle. I wanted to know more and what she did after. While some of the people were horrifying, other were interesting. I’m glad she was able to see the monsters for who they were, stand up for herself and get out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, and Pedophilia

chovereads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense

I devoured this.

this approach is one I have found in other memoirs -- writing about their childhood self, but staying in the perspective of that child without letting the adult they are now influence that writing. I really really like this. continue to seek it out. the use of the diary entries here was such an addition to the book, I can't imagine it without them.

one thing I got confused about was the dates of the diary entries. I'd forgotten the time period the book started in and the entries before she left the cult were dated '04. I guess I thought it was 2004 even though that didn't seem right. later when she's in public school, they randomly switch to 1980. I believe this was showing she was transitioning from the "Family's time" and that they tracked the years differently. 

my favorite part was when she recounted how she taped a scale from every fish that was caught the summer she lived in MA and recorded all the details in her diary. 

the book did end rather abruptly and it seemed a bit odd to not know more about what happened with the man who took her in and became her legal guardian in high school. but of course, she was writing about her escape, and with him, she was free.

very challenging and difficult subjects for some, check the content warnings! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Religious bigotry

daphnehumming's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

5.0

Terrific memoir it really does read like a novel. It is dark,

you really have to admire Guinevere’s perseverance and writing ability, both as a young person and today. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t truly look up until the end. I can only hope Turner decides to write a sequel.

for fans of I’m glad my mom died.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Misogyny, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Homophobia, and Physical abuse

Minor: Death and Abortion

jennygirl's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abandonment and Violence

dustghosts's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Sexism, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Suicidal thoughts