Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

119 reviews

ilaronicly's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Murder, Bullying, and Death

Minor: War and Suicide

midnightrubies's review against another edition

tense fast-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

4.0

Watching the beginnings of the Snow's ascent to power and the lives he ruins on the way was entertaining. The pace slows a third of the way through the novel but soon picks back the pace towards the end. All in all, it was interesting to see the foundations of The Hunger Games and the rivalry to come between Katniss and Snow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Police brutality

peachythi_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

This book brings on a whole new level of nuance and symbolism to THG and Panem as a world. The original trilogy was already so disturbing and the Capitol was corrupt. But in this book we get to see the corruption on a deeper level. Snow in this book is so deeply flawed and wholly unforgivable for his action in THG and in TBOSBAS. Yet his humanity is so clearly explored in this book that you can’t help but be so invested and intrigued in his character. Not lovable or even easily understood but vexing. If you are a fan of THG then this book will only make the entire series more enjoyable. Lucy Gray Baird is everything Katniss is not and vice versa. She is this charismatic performer who sees the good in everyone and easily came to trust Snow. Yet she remains eyes open to his actions and such as the title implies she uses music and songs as her own small act of Rebellion. And I adore her for it. Lucy so pure of heart and ready to rebell and poor struggling Snow who has every potential to be a better human but ultimately succumbs to the wickedness of the systems he eventually exploits.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, War, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Police brutality

Minor: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Grief

becca_w_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Addiction, Blood, Death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Gore, Violence, Animal death, Child death, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Vomit, War, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Torture, Trafficking, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Kidnapping, Slavery, Body horror, and Bullying

Minor: Body horror, Stalking, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

m_rain's review against another edition

YIKES. This book is awful... I barely made it a third of the way through and had to stop because of the intense classism, racism, and slavery. The tributes are continually described with animalistic characteristics and openly enslaved. Tributes are kept in a zoo, handcuffed, medically treated by a veterinarian, starved, and completely dehumanized by capital residents. 

The book is from the perspective of a soon-to-be dictator and described in way that tries to make him a sympathetic character. Snow, and the majority of the main characters, see the tributes as lesser human beings and he openly manipulates the tribute he is assigned in order to perpetuate his family's social status. 

I cannot understand why anyone would 'enjoy' this book... Collins has no excuse to be writing this miserable and graphic story or trying to make us 'feel for' Snow.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Slavery, Emotional abuse, and Animal cruelty

priscillarobock's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gun violence, and Vomit

barefootbeauty99's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Death

Minor: War and Addiction

marthadude's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.25

Before reading, I really didn’t think this book was going to be necessary and I didn’t think Snow’s origin story would be worth telling. After reading I think this book is a great addition to the series even if it’s not required reading. It was interesting to see how the world of The Hunger Games evolved from this into the one we see during the main series.

I’m also glad Snow was not made into a sympathetic character. That was a concern of mine and, while Snow is interesting here, he is still incredibly deplorable. It’s also fun that even though he is cunning and great at manipulation, he’s actually pretty stupid at points.

There’s definitely more threads I would have liked to seen just from the original books. I also wouldn’t have been opposed to seeing more of Snow’s career as he ages and becomes more powerful but I guess there could be another sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Torture, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child death, Child abuse, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Violence

Minor: Terminal illness, Cannibalism, and Dementia

dativa's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Finding !!! connections with the rest of the books like clues here and there is so cool. And Snow really

becomes himself in this one. It's really amazing watching the depths of his evil be created, tested, and affirmed so young

. I... am hoping that the

singing

will feel natural in the film; that tends to take me out of it sometimes, but I see how integral it is to the whole thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

It is a heavy read in the sense of understanding the ways it is explicitly and implicitly exposing real life; something like watching a Black Mirror episode I guess.

issyd23's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Collins lands on top! So glad this prequel has kept its fire 5💥 

APKAB All Peace Keepers Are Bastards

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Classism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Death, Gaslighting, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death of parent, Deportation, Grief, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Gore, Animal death, Violence, War, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Stalking, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, and Toxic relationship