Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

5 reviews

bookishperseus's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Child abuse, Colonisation, Hate crime, Slavery, Child death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Murder, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, War, Self harm, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

robinks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

The world-building was a bit slow in the beginning, but once our characters’ stories started intersecting, the book moved so quickly. Inan’s character was a bit confusing to me (though I think he is also just confused generally), but I loved watching Amari & Zélie’s growth and relationship development.
Also, the complexities of revolution against oppression were present in the characters’ struggles and conversations, which inspired me to consider these same complexities in reality. I want to know more about this world, and I want to know what happens next!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Genocide, Kidnapping, Racism, Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Grief, Slavery, and Stalking

Minor: Trafficking, Vomit, and Sexual content

oliverreeds's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.75

everything i wrote was deleted. i spent 15 minutes on this review. the short and skinny since i won’t be rewriting it: the characters are waffle-y

looking at you, inan and you zeili

i also just realized i’ve done ever spoiler up until this point wrong. the romances should have been gay 

looking at YOU zeili and amari bc the straight romances have. no. chemistry. at. all.

and lastly i was confused on a plot point which could have been my fault

the raid was only like ten years ago and that’s when magic went away when king whoever interrupted a ritual but this ritual only occurs every hundred years and it’s coming up agajn after only ten… maybe i misread though

anyways good book but should have been gayer

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders

batwinggoth's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Kidnapping, Murder, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Self harm, Slavery, Stalking, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cursing, Confinement, and Police brutality

sheryl_macca's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.5

I chose this book to tick off the Afrofuturism prompt of the Reading Women Challenge 2020. I hadn't heard of Afrofuturism before and even after reading a little about it I wasn't sure I fully grasped the concept.

Children of Blood and Bone is the story of a quest to return magic to Orisha, to right the generations of injustice that have gone before, to unite the people and share power. 

It's told through 4 points of view and I do love multiple POVs but in this book it didn't work as well for me as it usually does. The book is full off emotion, history and chaos. There are clearly comparisons to be made with apartide, segregation, institutional racism and the events which recently led to the BLM protests. There are powerful emotions around the coming of age, discovering your inner strength, testing yourself, trust and responsibility. There are first loves, family connections, grief and challenges of belonging. I wanted deeper more insightful narrators to really explore all of these themes and I found that each chapter was too short to accomplish this. I was hopping from one narrator to the next too quickly.

Having said that, it's a wonderful world that has been created and there's an interesting timelessness to the story. The adventure just keeps on coming, on land and on water. It's a great work of fantasy  but it missed the mark on the feels.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, and Violence