Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

32 reviews

katiewithhats's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism and Antisemitism

mrsbuck's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Homophobia, Grief, Murder, and War

Minor: Alcoholism

aroma_of_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and War

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: Self harm and Alcohol

sarahk_42's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse

starlitpage's review

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

3.5

This book suffers a bit from a case of modern sensibilities in a period novel. But if you can get through the first few chapters, it justifies itself with meaning and hope grounded in the book's present. In the end, it does have a modern queer hopefulness that reminds me of Becky Chambers or TJ Klune, and the period of it--sandwiched between the first and second world wars, with what that entails for a time-hopper--serves that message. I'm still not entirely sure how much to trust the historical accuracy,  but at least there's an in-text acknowledgement of the most glaring anachronism (to me, with my circus experience) and a list of sources on circus history in.the acknowledgements pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia

The narrative is on the right side against homophobia and antisemitism

bobbi's review

dark hopeful 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Forced institutionalization

mj_james_writes's review

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

I started this in audio and as much as I wanted to like it I wasn’t. I switched over to paper thinking that may be better, but it really wasn’t. I don’t think the writing style was for me. But more then that this book is dark even when it is supposed to not be. It also had too much going on. Having the emotional intensity of WWII as a backdrop and then throwing a super villain in as well felt overwhelming.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and War

blacksphinx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

There's just one character where every part of her, from her personality, to her actions, to the way her storyline ends, that I found extremely annoying. I also don't feel that the two major plotlines really ever came together in a way that was satisfying. Those criticisms aside, it was wonderful to read a fantasy story that was deeply steeped in Judaism, and a "found family" story that actually sells you on how the characters are a family.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic

TW: Eye trauma, references to the Holocaust, graphic descriptions of the effect of atomic bombs on the human body.

anntharai's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Jfc this book is devastating. Like. If you have a button, this story pushes - and not just the big ones in big obvious ways. It's the little ways it reminds you of things, the one liners that you need to pause and think about, but for others will just pass them by. Which, is really apt considering one of the main mechanics of the story. 

It's fucking terrifying, sad, hopeful.  Ita about trauma and finding yourself, inevitability and searching for good. 


I picked this up because it caught my eye in the new arrivals but I'm gonna be thinking about this book for years. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Eating disorder

sashahc's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

“The First Bright Thing” by JR Dawson is about a queer Jewish woman ringmaster of a magical circus in Midwest America in 1926.  It’s about recovering from abuse and the weight of history and the beauty of found family.  It’s about evil and all the ways we fight it.  It’s about Tikkun Olam.  It’s got so many layers and such great characters.  Highly recommended, especially during these days of awe.  #book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Death of parent