Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez

12 reviews

tlaynejones's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, Racism, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Drug use, and Child abuse

moodyromancereader's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

I have been following Elizabeth for years, so I was excited to dive into this book. This is a poetry book in a novel form. The poems follow our Sarai, a sixteen-year-old born Puerto Rican living in Bushwick, Brooklyn, whose family is from Puerto Rico. The poems in this story are raw and honest. From the first poem, it feels like Sarai is a friend talking to you about her life. The words jump off the page and pull you into Sarai’s world. There are heavy topics and themes in this book, so please check CW

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Child abuse

kayladaila's review against another edition

dark sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Rape, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Abandonment, Body shaming, Drug use, and Addiction

bimess_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad medium-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

5.0

- This review is for the Spanish edition.

The story of Sarai filled me with dread, hope and longing. Reminded me of my teen years and the girls that surrounded me. It felt close to home and for that, I'm thankful. Remembering pain and learning that you could really make it! (hehehe) can be seen as freedom. 

I loved this book and I'll be coming back to it whenever I want to read a certain passage. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

starrysteph's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-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

4.5

An energizing explosion of heart & spirit, with characters that speak earnestly and directly with a yearning that is incredibly affecting.

 

We’re following Sarai, a Puerto Rican teenager living in Bushwick. She shares her hopes, she questions her identity, she agonizes over her familial pain & trauma, and she wonders about the future of her neighborhood and community. Sarai’s personality bursts from the page as she shares her quietest thoughts and her loudest dreams, all in verse.

 

This book covers tough subjects as Sarai faces all sorts of challenges: familial trauma, abuse, sexual assault, drug use & overdosing, teenage pregnancy, sexism & objectification of young women, ignorance & privilege, gentrification, and much more. 

 

The writing and voice is distinctive and connected and powerful. I was captivated by Sarai and hopeful for her and heartbroken for her. 

 

I found the ending to be a little bit crushing; the very last piece was too quick of a wrap up and some threads didn’t come together in the way I had hoped they would. I would have preferred getting maybe one more year of Sarai’s life and expanding on the conclusion.

 

CW: death (including child death), drugs & drug overdose, pregnancy, sexual assault (of a child), child abuse, mental illness, sexism, fatphobia, body shaming, ableism, domestic abuse, miscarriage, police brutality, gun violence, addiction, racism, toxic relationship, religious bigotry, psychosis, classism 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Addiction, Drug use, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Sexism, Child death, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Body shaming, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Gun violence, Racism, Toxic relationship, Classism, Sexual harassment, and Police brutality

readswithrachel's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Drug use, Death, and Child abuse

ritareadstrash's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Racial slurs

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I definitely recommend the audiobook of this because it's read by the author and there's just something about listening to poetry read by the author. Phenomenally done. A lot of the poems here pack a punch. Something I'd want to highlight if I had a physical copy!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

lettuce_read's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Mental illness, and Child abuse

stephanieridiculous's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, Miscarriage, and Police brutality

Nothing happens on screen- I think most if not all of the potentially triggering content is mentioned/alluded to, but isn't detailed on page. Some aftermath is discussed, too, but nothing graphic. The book begins with a content warning essentially, too, so you know what you're getting into.