Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O'Farrell

212 reviews

cigarete_smoke's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

sarahallez's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Child death

Minor: Child abuse

topodibiblioteca's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Child death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Blood and Death of parent

antoniac's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Grief, and Child death

Moderate: Death of parent and Child abuse

butlerebecca's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Wow

Who knew grief could be written so fucking beautifully? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship

foggyoblio's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Pregnancy, Medical content, and Infidelity

emerentina's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Death, Child death, Child abuse, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Infidelity

chefboyavi's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

This came highly recommended to me by multiple people and while I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as they did, I do think it’s a worthwhile read. The writing is very engaging, it’s a good exploration of grief, and I think O’Farrell does a nice job at capturing the feeling of a time and place. I just don’t think I care about the life of William Shakespeare that much.

And he seems like an asshole.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Child death

etl's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Death

august_ambrosia's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

oh my god. easy 5 stars. ignore how long it took me to finish this book i was trying not to get invested and sob (it didnt work btw) but ooohh my god. o'farrell writes so BEAUTIFULLY. this is lyrical prose on another level. absolutely adored it i wanted to underline and highlight so many sections but alas i was reading in a library book. but i will be ordering my own !!!!! just... spellbinding. the way she describes everything so vividly, its like i can smell and see and touch everything. everyone feels so alive. the little note that the midwife had a jar of pennies at the bottom of the garden. we dont know her name but we know she wont tell anyone about them. everyone is SO ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!! there was something so terrible about reading it knowing the ending. (the ending that is on the blurb, btw. i didnt go in with any other 'spoilers') but its a beautiful exploration of grief and siblinghood and love!!!! and complex relationships, and flawed people, and a whole world is created with the tenderness of the descriptions. the cats and the boy with the monkey with the fleas. susanna!!!! the other women, and agnes. and the way we are told how to pronounce her name. and the horror with which the glover's son falls to the ground after reading his sister's letter about his daughter's illness. the description of grief is heart wrenching tbh. won't ever forget the passage where

agnes considers her three children. susanna? at the neighbour's house. judith? upstairs. and hamnet? (he is dead) and hamnet? (he is dead, he is dead.) but hamnet? where is he? (and his lifeless body rests in her arms.)

but i will end this long, rambly review by just saying. ohhh hamnet. dearest hamnet. it shall not be. he wills it so. its a story about a boy who, full with love and life, does the impossible. and meets the inevitable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse and Infidelity

Minor: Sexual content