Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne

22 reviews

haddy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This book… wow. I read this pretty much in one day, and I think it will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve never felt so nervous for a character before, kind of anticipating what might happen next but not wanting it to happen. 
Mild

I hate Reese with all of my soul. Him and his trilby can get in the bin. I want to give Amilie a big hug and shield her from the world. I love Alfie with all my heart😭 what a little Angel.

Read the content warnings before you read this!!! It’s amazing but it gets heavy, be gentle with yourselves🧡

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Panic attacks/disorders

eilimeee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Spoilers included 

I have many thoughts about this book. I will say I only started getting a little bit interested at about 80% of the book. 
Reese is so obviously an abuser, a very toxic man who did many bad things to Amelie and she got through it yes. But at the same time, I never found Amelie loveable. Even before Reese manipulated her. Many things she does just seem so stupid to me and ig a part of it is because I don’t know how much of an influence such a toxic person/relationship has on you but also idk. Like how she depends on Alfie to make her feel better? Even after she really hurt him? She didn’t deserve what she got of course im not victim blaming here but she still hurt him so much. Just by getting into a relationship with Reese when he didn’t have power over her yet. This was her own free will at that time. Also she keeps saying that she has no friends and that part is mainly her fault I would say. She doesn’t listen to Hannah who knows him and tells her that he’s not a good guy, and then she lets him talk about her in a bad manner, and then she spends all her time with him completely forgetting that they are friends? Idk that didn’t sit right with me. 
Also, I know it’s literally in the title but the fact that she’s crying like 50% of the book annoyed me. 
The part about her being raped broke my heart into a million pieces. And the way Reese does it and how it’s written taht was devastating I will admit. 
But overall I didn’t really enjoy the book as I just couldn’t stand the main character and her actions that made her look very selfish (when she wasn’t manipulated into doing it) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

lisaxdf's review

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

cateemma's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, and Gaslighting

bella_b_4's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape

Minor: Body shaming

hermini's review

challenging emotional inspiring sad 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: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Vomit, and Cursing

hannahrk's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

dani_2006's review

challenging emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Vomit

cedmnds's review

emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.75

ahh i loved this book ! so dark and interesting . really reflective and it makes u think. the characters were really well written , 3 dimensional 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence

Minor: Toxic friendship and Stalking

tomesandtash's review

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This book will always have a special place in my heart because I relate so heavily to Amelie and what she goes through in her relationship with Reese. This book is beautifully written and so incredibly senstive and respectful of the topics it discusses, though that is to be expected when it comes to Holly Bourne. We follow Amelie as she recounts her abustive relationship with Reese, a boy she fell hard and fast for and who broke her down methodically. It discusses toxic and abusive relationships in terms of emotional and psychological abuse, and every step from pulling her away from her friends to the more severe, is touched on here. I truly believe that this book read by the right person at the right time could prevent so many young girls from going through relationships like this. I wish I had been able to read this book at 16 so I could have known better how to protect myself. This book makes me angry but in all the right ways because it's so truthful and accurate. I will always reread this book every couple of years because it has truly helped me heal from my own experiences as a teenager and I feel like I have been heard and listened to when I read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Gaslighting