Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

A estranha Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

9 reviews

hugsy85's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Confinement, Kidnapping, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Mental illness

karenperry93's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexism, Grief, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Pandemic/Epidemic, Kidnapping, Incest, Homophobia, Car accident, Bullying, Pedophilia, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Racism, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship

emjay2021's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

I went into this knowing next to nothing, just that it was recommended as a good thriller/mystery. It grabbed me from the first two paragraphs and I ended up reading it in less than 24 hours.

I really don’t want to spoil it for anyone else who wants to read it, so I’ll just say that I thought the first 90% was excellent but I did not like the ending.

I think what I didn’t like is that from the last letter to Sally from Angela, we are led to think OK, Sally will likely make a slow recovery and regain the community supports she had worked so hard to build; she’ll be OK-ish despite everything that transpired with her brother in the last few chapters. However, I wanted to SEE that recovery, not just be left thinking it would probably happen. I rarely feel I’m owed anything as a reader, but because I was so invested in Sally’s story and her hard-fought journey to happiness, I did feel I was owed that assurance. I wanted to see at least ONE reconciliation. A letter from Angela is a good start, but it’s one-sided and we don’t know how, or even if, Sally responds. That was what I wanted the author to end with.

However, even though I didn’t like the ending, the first 90% was so good I definitely don’t regret having read it.

This book is funny and touching but also highly disturbing. So, be warned.

First two paragraphs:

“Put me out with the trash,” he said regularly. “When I die, put me out with the trash. I’ll be dead, so I won’t know any different. You’ll be crying your eyes out,” and he would laugh and I’d laugh too because we both knew that I wouldn’t be crying my eyes out. I never cry.

When the time came, on Wednesday, 19th November 2017, I followed his instructions. He was small and frail and eighty-two years old by then, so it was easy to get him into one large garden garbage bag.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Confinement, Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, Pedophilia, Grief, and Rape

Minor: Suicide

vanibhoo's review against another edition

challenging funny hopeful mysterious fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Confinement, Rape, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, Bullying, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Grief, Torture, and Misogyny

aine_murrayx's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Kidnapping, Torture, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Grief, Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Pedophilia

aaliya87's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Rape, Car accident, and Child abuse

Moderate: Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Racism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Kidnapping

trish_reading12's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I have read and really enjoyed Liz Nugent’s previous books but found this one difficult to read at times due to the subject matter. I took a break from reading this book before returning to finish it. Liz Nugent is a talented author and all of her books are well written. 

I would recommend reading the content warnings before reading this one. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Child death

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

beccajdb's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

1.5

What an appalling, prurient book. A gratuitous minute-by-minute setting-out of child abuse and violence. The fact that it’s narrated in the totally unbelievable voices of two of the damaged victims is both ridiculous and outrageous. The style is a plain blow-by-blow explanation with throwaway and jarring detail about everything from bitcoin to Māori culture. Shockingly bad in both content and writing. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Pedophilia, Car accident, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence

c_wag2009's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness