Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Il giardino delle magie by Alice Hoffman

93 reviews

thesonnetsilence's review against another edition

I tried to get into it, but I just couldn't. It started off very slow and just meh for me. I kept finding excuses to not pick this book back up. When I finally mustered up the energy to try it again, I couldn't get past the triggering content. I was not in the right headspace for this one and I'm happy I didn't torture myself to the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexism

issyfrp99's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual harassment

internationalreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

Unique writing style; I liked it but it may not be for everyone. The pacing was pretty weird, a lot got packed in to the last 15% or so of the book. And I’m not sure how I felt about how casually the author wrote about domestic violence. This may be the rare case where the movie is better than the book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

bookdawg's review against another edition

4.0

The same cozy ethereal vibe I love from the movie, with enough differences to keep it interesting. Notably, there was much less overt magic (spell casting) and more of a magical environment that reminded me a lot of Like Water for Chocolate, that leaned this more toward magical realism than fantasy.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence and Domestic abuse

marieeveparentroy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Death, Alcohol, and Death of parent

ce_read's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I was raised on the movie so it's hard not to compare the two. The writing could be a bit hoakey and ham-fisted for me at times, but ultimately compelling and entertaining. I second some other reviews that said some characters were introduced abruptly or not well-enough developed, and of there were themes or plot devices, I didn't pick up on them. Not my usual fare 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Death

chasingpages1's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Car accident, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Stalking, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Rape

joseich37's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse

suziem00n's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

This book was not what I first expected. It had a lot more dark themes than I thought, and involved some serious topics. However I enjoyed how the story ended, and enjoyed the subtle hints to witchcraft throughout. I read this as a stand alone book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Suicide

euphemiajo's review against another edition

adventurous

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Animal death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Murder, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Violence