Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Room by Emma Donoghue

31 reviews

nickyhopkins's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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: Violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Suicide attempt

directorpurry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Confinement, Violence, Rape, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Suicide attempt and Pregnancy

musicmagician823's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Rape, Confinement, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt

lizzye's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Violence

belladonnashrike's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

i really loved this. 

I don’t think I would have enjoyed this as much if it were told from ma’s perspective. seeing everything through jack’s eyes was an excellent choice of donoghue’s. 

such an amazing story. heartbreaking, terrifying, hopeful… its definitely something i’ll read again if I can find some tissues. it temporarily got me out of a reading slump too, so I love it for that as well. 

I liked the movie too, although some of the story changes they made bugged me - but brie larson & jacob tremblay were incredible! I will always prefer the book but I really enjoyed their performances 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Suicide attempt

nataliect13's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Rape

Minor: Blood, Miscarriage, and Suicide attempt

brookey8888's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

At first I wasn’t really enjoying this that much because it is from the point of you have a five-year-old child so it was kind of annoying to hear his thoughts. But as it went on I got used to it and I kind of enjoyed it does also has a full cast narrated(I listened to the audiobook) which I really enjoyed. Also this might be a slight spoiler but they are in the room the whole time they get out like 50% through which I thought was interesting because you got to see how the child and everyone reacted. I do wish there was like some more I don’t know if closure is the right word or something but it makes sense because it’s the point of you have a five-year-old so everything that’s happening to the Mom we don’t really know like therapy and stuff like that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Stalking, Vomit, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Death, Excrement, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Violence

laravo21's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Violence

katsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

“Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing.”

“Stories are a different kind of true.”

“I've seen the world and I'm tired now.”

I think it will come as no surprise that the most interesting part of this book is the point-of-view. I find it very compelling when authors use the perspectives of "innocents" like children to tell stories. It takes away some of the bias and assumptions that we have as the reader. And this novel goes even further by making the narrator incredibly young. Jack, the narrator, is just 5 years old and he's never known anything other than Room. Getting to experience the world for the first time through his eyes was so interesting and  provocative . My only major negative is also about the narrator, though. I've seen other people who've reviewed this book say that they found him annoying but for me, I just doubted that a 5 year old would be as articulate as he was sometimes portrayed. Granted, very few people can confirm or deny if it's actually possible but there were just instances when I felt like Jack was more articulate than any 5 year old would be even given the heinous and unique situation he was in. 

Given all that, this book was incredibly well written. The audiobook was incredibly well done. I really liked how the author didn't turn this into a run-of-the-mill true crime novel. The focus was 100% on Ma and Jack and how their characters grow and develop through the trauma of their ordeal. Old Nick, the perpetrator, is a part of the story, obviously, but he spends very little time on page. His backstory is never explained or rationalized and I love that. I am now very interested in seeing the film adaptation!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Rape, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Cursing

Minor: Abortion, Excrement, and Self harm

shoerliii's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Violence, Excrement, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Moderate: Child death