Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin

22 reviews

gibby1127's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Kidnapping

corbyjane's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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This book reminds me of Bridge to Terebithia, Speak, and Lord of the Flies. It’s crazy how many different thoughts and emotions got packed in this book, it somehow encapsulates so many different experiences of girlhood even while the plot is about four girls with the most unnatural upbringing. I loved this so much. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence

absiinthe's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Sexual assault

Minor: Cannibalism, Abandonment

mthereader's review against another edition

4.25

challenging emotional mysterious reflective 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: No

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On the surface this is a YA book about a teenage girl’s discovery of four kidnapped girls (were they in a cult? Turns out that question’s not actually all that important to the story) and their tumultuous attempts to be reintegrated into modern society. But under the pretty cover this has some deep veins of misogyny, #MeToo, always-pick-the-bear energy that stoked the flames of my feminist rage. Every version of the book has content warnings in the intro and they are very warranted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt

hanyaya's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Cannibalism, Gaslighting

Minor: Body shaming

lisett's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

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You know a book is truly addictive when you can't be bothered by the hurricane so rudely raging outside, even as the power goes out, and on, back out, and on again (STOP FLICKERING I'M TRYING TO READ!), trees crash down, limbs narrowly missing your car and taking out part of your fence. Thanks, Hurricane Helene, we now have enough firewood to last us the next 20 years!

Is this a book I would recommend to everyone? Nope. Trigger Warning: It touches on just about every sensitive topic including complex PTSD, suicide, body shaming, emotional abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, cannibalism, and the loss of a parent.

I admire Franklin's writing. She handled these very sensitive topics with care, even going as far as providing readers a preemptive warning and advising us "take care of your personal well-being" before beginning. I wish more writers would do this. It would help me decide if I'm in the right mindset to read such heavy subject matters.

Rhi lost her mom at a very young age, her stepmother is abusive, starves and body shames Rhi, which her cold and emotionally detached father does nothing to stop until he is arrested and Rhi is sent to live with her Uncle Jimmy, her late mother's brother. Uncle Jimmy is the real hero of this story, kind, loving, and understanding. He shows Rhi that true kindest exists even after all she's been through.

While working at a wildlife preserve, Rhi stumbles on wolves protecting a distressed pack of wild young women. One of them is injured by an illegal animal trap, and Rhi helps rescue the girls and earns their trust. She soon discovers they were raised by a mysterious man in the wilderness, some self-proclaimed "prophet" who taught them they were Princesses from another realm, destined to save their kingdoms.

But when the girls are torn from their life of absolute freedom, they are separated, put into foster care, forced to abandon all of their beliefs, and become civilized. This book is emotional, heart-wrenching, and inspiring. Definitely not for everyone, but I loved it.

My rating? 4.5 stars. Why not 5? I was left wanting more resolution about the girls' origins and the real identity of "Mother," the man who raised them. Those questions were never fully answered. Aside from that, this was a wonderful read that I won't forget any time soon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Death of parent

lpogo16's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Gonna be thinking about this one for a little bit. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

ldbraun's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious 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

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This books touches a lot of subjects. Including transgender (very briefly), racism, police brutality, rape, domestic violence and suicide. Very dark content. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Cannibalism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent

lel524's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism

Minor: Kidnapping, Death of parent

emilyrobben's review

5.0

challenging emotional hopeful reflective

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Wow. Just wow. Not sure how this ended up in my Libby list, but I listened to it in a day. I could not turn it off. This is going to be a book that college professors use in women’s studies. Such a beautiful narrative of the female experience told in a very unique way.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia

While not graphic, this book discusses many of the all too common challenges of the female experience. You build deep emotional connection to the characters, which makes everything more difficult to deal with, so while not ‘graphic’ I would take the trigger warnings seriously.