Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

104 reviews

splendidmusings's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Classism

latida94's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

5.0

The biggest plot twist was the twist in the way our hero turned out to be, though perhaps that was my own naievete and ignorance because I've never wanted something so strongly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Torture

sofiwithaphd's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent

marsh_mall0w's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Torture, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Alcohol

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

kat42's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Blood

augustar14's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.5

This book had been on my tbr list for a while before I read it. While I had high hopes for it, it ultimately didn't live up to them.
It's difficult for a book this long not to feel slow paced. There was plenty of action that got me through, but it still overall felt a little slow.
I also struggle with the main character and her actions/choices at times. I understand her motivations and that her situation is complex, difficult, and influenced by significantly different cultural beliefs. And, at the same time, it is painful to see her grow into the person she becomes. The parallels with the eunuch general are fascinating, and I do plan to at least try to read to sequel to see where that thread goes. His story and decisions are painful to follow, though, too. Overall, it is a difficult read, one that offers little reward for the suffering and pain it puts the reader through. It is not a happily ever after story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Medical content and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Excrement and Vomit

erebus53's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

CW: war, sexual content

I read this book as part of a book club. It was one the club read before I joined but I am playing catch up.
Set in China in the 1300s this was a welcome departure from the Anglo-centric middle ages stories that I typically read based in that time period.

As a girl growing up in the middle of a famine, the main character learns that if you really have the want, you will survive at all costs. It's an exploration of the idea that desire is the root of suffering, and the main character is set up to be one who wants a lot and is thus likely to suffer a lot... there is a lot going on psychologically and philosophically, but I don't think the story gets bogged down by it.

I found myself really excited by some of the cinematic style happenings. An entire army taken out by cleverness and natural forces was a lot more exciting to me than blow by blow battles. I am constantly left under-enthused by battles in general, and this story doesn't make me wade through them unnecessarily. War is ugly.

The relationships in the tale are really nuanced and interesting. Best friends hide secrets from each other, or keep each other's secrets. Rivals respect each other, or feign being dignified. People feel attached to those who have hurt them. It's all a very human dysfunctional mess of trust, betrayal, love, romance, and misplaced presumptions. There's lesbian sex, and homoerotic sexual tension. Love without sex, sex without love. And there's dysphoria and mutilation...

There is a mystical element to the story. It leaves you to wonder about the Fates of the main characters and whose sides the gods are on. I really wanted to love this book more, but it's long and maybe I was just tired.. but I find it hard to root for a main character who is ambitious for its own sake. It's sort of good to have an unconventional main character who gets to be a Boss by sheer savvy and luck.. but I don't get a sense of rooting for an underdog so much as watching someone destroy a whole heap of things and climb a pile of bodies, like military might is the way to get a high score.

I'll be interested to read the second book when it comes out (later this year), and hopefully I might like it more if I take my time to invest in the characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Cannibalism, and Lesbophobia

alyxinthestars's review against another edition

reflective tense slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Child abuse and Xenophobia

Minor: Child death and Islamophobia

queerandtalkative's review against another edition

DNF after chapter 2. read like trauma porn, the main character could not catch a break. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Colonisation