Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

519 reviews

zoegg's review

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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

my aunt got me this book a couple years ago & has been pushing me to read it ever since, so i figured i finally should get around to it just to say i did the next time i see her. we’ve visited low country in sc every year for the past decade, so i was really drawn in by the descriptions of the marsh & how kya found her means to survive. HOWEVER, i have two major qualms with this book that prevent me from ranking it any higher.

1) i love a good mystery, but the two biggest twists in the book were frankly anything but 🤷 ESPECIALLY the poet one, it really made the rest of the book seem corny in retrospect.

2) i understand the story is set in a contentious time for race relations, but i don’t think race was a big enough point in the plot for the author to make so many distinctions on it while building the setting. & truthfully, i don’t think it’s appropriate for any white author to be writing out the hard r EVER. that left such a horrible feeling in my stomach & honestly left a negative impression for me for the rest of the book.

all in all: it was fine. there are better murder mysteries out there, so i don’t think it deserves the hype it got.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Minor: Racial slurs and Racism

ritashier's review

adventurous medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse

justmys's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

A good read. I felt the pacing sort of slump in the middle and then race through the trial a little but overall it was a decent book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Classism, Grief, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Racism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Blood, Car accident, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Cancer, Hate crime, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Bullying, Murder, Child death, Stalking, Misogyny, and Racism

wogslandwriter's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing 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? Yes

5.0

I did not know what to expect from this book when I started it. Honestly, it was beyond my expectations from the very beginning and it just kept going. I did not know how it was going to end.

I was pretty sure Kaya wouldn't go to jail, but I honestly did think that she had killed Tate. It made the most logical sense, but it just didn't seem like she had done it. It was definitely a surprise to have that twist at the end, but it all makes sense and it brings a sense of mildly juvenile wonder which I think really matches Kaya's personality because she was neglected for so long and stayed agoraphobic for her who life.

I laughed and cried reading this and it may be one of the best literary novels I have ever read. I am definitely interested in more books like this, with a focus on ecology and personhood. It is extremely good and I highly recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Racism, Murder, Death, Classism, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Infidelity, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual content, Cursing, and Misogyny

Minor: Car accident, War, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Child death, Infertility, and Sexism

Kaya, the main character of this book is subject to extreme childhood neglect from and absent mother and alcoholic father. The book focuses on her abandonment and loneliness as it follows her story.

As a teenager she has a relationship with an older boy who is technically an adult for the later part of their relationship. As a young adult, she has a relationship with an emotionally manipulative young man where he is cheating on her and lying to her regularly. After breaking it off with him, he later chases her down and attempts to rape her. She defends herself and is able to escape him.

There are also graphic flashbacks to her father beating her mother and siblings and discussion of how her town is segregated with black people living in "colored town" separate from the white people. There is mild discussion of the racism of the era, but mostly it is simply treated as matter of fact as it is viewed through the eyes of a child.

imskylow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

3.0

This book is fantastic . It’s a bit slow in the beginning as the MC is figuring out life alone but as she ages and has some interaction with other people it becomes really interesting. The things that Kya learns about life on the marsh and the people of the town is very fascinating. That being said, I’m lowering my score from a 5 to a 3 because of the shady vigilante stuff the author and her husband has gotten up to in Zambia. Someone has lost their life and they will not return for trial.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Physical abuse

mack_urdaddy's review

emotional 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

4.5

The author’s imagery is rn captivating and unlike any other that I’ve read. It truly is like she is leading you through every brush stroke she uses to paint the scene of the marsh.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, Cursing, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Racism, Racial slurs, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Violence, Racism, Death of parent, and Racial slurs

_marycappiello3's review

emotional sad tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, and Toxic relationship

love_chloe_c's review

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad 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

5.0

I would've killed Chase too </3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Racism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Murder, and Grief

medini_l's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Murder, Racism, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Racial slurs

vanessagrausam's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Physical abuse