Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Il giardino delle magie by Alice Hoffman

43 reviews

noraestelle's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

So I wanted to read this book before ever watching the movie. I always heard the movie was a classic, so I figured the book is too. Honestly, it took me way too long to figure out if I was even reading the first/right book or not. My opinion, the aunts are the only like-able characters in the whole book and I find they’re not in it enough. If you came for a cute witchy book, you’ve come to the wrong place. The only time there is any “witchy” elements in the book is when the aunts are around which isn’t often. They had too many side characters that they would insert their thoughts in, but didn’t really build those characters. Over half of the side characters I did not care about. Honestly, I would have much rather listen to Sally and her husbands love story which we barely got any of. To me that was the only love story in the book, the others were all rushed and felt forced. Not to mention literally every sexual scene feeling uncomfortable and on the verge of not consent. I kept reading this book waiting for it to get good and don’t get me wrong there were cute moments. Maybe I just had too high expectations going into it, but I don’t know. I’d say for 75% of the book I was just waiting for it to be over. I will say the narrator I liked. She sounded like Cher and I lowkey loved that. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal cruelty, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

aleksanderaleksander's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual assault

rainandroses's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

This book just wasn't for me, I read it without having watched the movie and maybe it just left a different impact to those that experienced either the book or the movie in the 90s. I wanted to know more about the mysterious magic even through small ways and really didn't care for any of the romance story lines, and I usually love a romantic subplot. It also felt very privileged and white to me, and I found myself unable to relate to those parts of the book. And just a little too much praise of the suburbia, even though it was important to one of the characters. Overall, it feels like a book very much of it's time. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

gabrieldorian's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

pinto_los_flores's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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

Alice Hoffman explains the wide spectrum of male attention perfectly. I feel like I’ve been every single one of these women at some point or another. I found every woman wildly relatable.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Bullying

sulfurandbrimstone74's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Rape

favvn's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.0

After seeing the movie for absolute years, I decided to finally read the book and wow the changes between the two! I don't know what it was about the 90s and adapting books for film in such a way as to create a wholly separate yet good adaptation but Practical Magic is one of them. (As far as I'm aware because I have yet to read the book, Fried Green Tomatoes is another example of this.)

Super poetic prose which I didn't entirely mind (I wouldn't call it purple prose), but the lack of chapter breaks or nice paragraph breaks sucked as a reader with Other Things To Do than spend the whole day reading.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault

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

lindsayerin's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Grief, Sexual harassment, and Death

Moderate: Sexual assault

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