Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

24 reviews

penguingin's review against another edition

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Violence, Infertility, and Misogyny

pomoevareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Hast thou read Hour of the Witch?

I can always count on Bohjalian to carry me to the time and place of his novels and this one sees us in Boston, Massachusetts in 1662-63. Religiosity rules and witches hang.

Mary Deerfield is 24 years old and five years into her marriage with an older man, Thomas. Thomas is cruel and belittling to Mary and after one very serious incident involving a fork-also known as the Devil’s Tines, she petitions the court for a divorce. Divorce is almost unheard of in this Puritan society. Nearby, women have been hung for being possessed by the Devil and cases are beginning to be heard here in Boston. 

This story is divided into two books, The Book of the Wife and The Book of the Witch. The first focusses more on world building and introducing characters whereas the second ramps up the energy and adds in a slow burn thriller component.

I think about the fact that the story is set in a time period hundreds of years ago and yet where are we today when it comes to domestic violence? Not far enough. While obvious strides have been made, we still see women dying each week by their intimate partners and the power imbalance whether by sex, religion, money or size rules. I have been out of the victim services field for several years now but spent a large majority of my time working on intimate partner violence cases. Despite the Canadian government taking away the responsibility for victims to charge their abusers and having primary aggressor protocols, a day never seemed to go by when a new file didn’t cross my desk. Ownership of victims, never spelled out that way but all the same, was what so many cases boiled down to. 

Well researched and entertaining, Hour of the Witch was a pleasure to read. My only curiosity is what would have happened if Mary’s father didn’t import forks?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Infidelity, Colonisation, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

aeglaeca's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

I didn't expect this book to end the way it did, but I'm very happy that it did. Well worth the read, but be warned that it's difficult to read at times (content, not prose, although the prose is very antiquated as tbe book is set in the 1660s). 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Infertility and Miscarriage

blueyogi's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexism, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs, Murder, Racism, and Infertility

Minor: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Sexual assault

maecave15's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol, Violence, Chronic illness, Rape, and Miscarriage

dexkit10's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Violence, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Gaslighting, Incest, Sexual assault, and Death

ekmoore11's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Miscarriage, Colonisation, Blood, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Confinement

Minor: Incest, Death of parent, and Infidelity

glitchkitsch's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexism, Infertility, Racism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Death, and Alcoholism

Minor: Toxic friendship, Abortion, Animal death, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Triggering content is period typical. It's historical fiction taking place in colonial New England, if you aren't prepared for sexism, racism, and a theocratic society, maybe skip this novel. The ending has

a satisfying payoff for the main character, though.

stephaniezd's review

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.25

What a masterpiece!! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcohol, Infertility, and Colonisation

Moderate: Miscarriage and Death

nday112's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Child death, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Colonisation