Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Beloved by Toni Morrison

72 reviews

jennifer_vars's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

Beloved is a complex and carefully crafted novel but also fragmented, and surreal.  Honestly though, I think that was Morrison's point? I saw another review state that sometimes reality is too painful to address in plain simple narrative. Sometimes truth has to be approached slowly to get to the heart of the matter. The character's struggles here cannot be addressed with simplistic explanations. This book will require time, patience and probably someone to discuss   and decode the messages in this book with.

The novel is a ghost story but not really. What it really delves into is psychological and generational trauma through a lyrical, historical lens. It's part horror and part magical realism. The scary part of this book is not the supernatural aspect, but the horrors humans inflict on one another. 

This was my second reading, and probably tougher this time around. I initially picked it up because of all the recent uproar in my state over this particular book. It was the focus of a challenge four years ago but conveniently reimagined for political play this last election cycle.

Surprising to me, I kind of agree that this may not be appropriate for even most high schoolers but not for the reasons used in the challenge. The argument for censorship is that it's too violent and too sexually mature. Well, those are simply bad faith arguments because this book was not assigned to 8 year olds but rather high school students in AP classes (aka college level). Anyone who is being honest knows that teenagers view much worse on their phones that are conveniently available in their pockets at all times. The real reason is Morrison has written a tragic and horrific account of the aftereffects of slavery in America and it makes people uncomfortable.

I wouldn't take it off the list, but the potential problem with assigning the novel is that it is an extremely difficult book to follow. The memories are told in fragmented text and the dialogue of the setting make this book one that requires patience.  Some books are meant to be read at the right time in our lives.  I'm an avid reader and I'm not sure I would have appreciated or been able to take in all of the nuanced meanings in high school but I don't know. I'm sure having a teacher to guide the book and discussion questions is probably best. Readers should read it when they're ready, and for me that came at my second attempt at 42.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, and Slavery

justsade's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder

thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racism, Grief, and Murder

orlagal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

looney_moons's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Morrison's writing is engulfing, beautiful, and like no other I have ever read. In the foreword, she mentions that she wanted to write a book where the reader was thrust into it, no explanation, no nothing, and she sure did succeed. I understand that Morrison does not write for a white audience but that does not make me any less grateful for the opportunity to read this book. It's as stunning as it is confusing, as heartbreaking as it is hopeful, and justifiably one of the best books ever written. Cannot recommend enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Rape, and Sexual violence

nancymking's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

idolates's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Grief, and Colonisation

lou_o_donnell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Murder

pagesfromhome's review against another edition

challenging reflective 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

5.0

Beloved was a reread for me this year and I still can't believe that a book this incredible exists in the world for us to consume whenever we'd like. There's a reason this is one of the few canonical stories that I would keep: no edits, no changes, no substitutions. I will always fight on the side of calling Beloved not just "a" but "the" great American novel.

While it can be an exceptionally difficult book to get through, it is well worth it. Approach with caution if you have sensitivities as it will burrow into your soul and won't leave for a while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, and Blood

sunpuddles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ writing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ insightfulness
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ readability
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ plot development
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ character
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ pace

Beloved is a true classic. This was a re-read for me, but all the memories of reading it in college came swarming back as I turn the pages. Toni Morrison has such a voice and gives her character such a voice. She is really able to give a mood and feeling to the scenes with her prose and cadence. She uses repetition so often and to great effect, turning the words into such beautiful poetry at times; creating an ambiance beyond the actual words themselves. Beloved is also such a heartbreaking story. The brutality of slavery and how it broke so many men and women it’s shown in graphic details to the powerful stories of the characters. Sethe’s story of killing her baby is appalling, and yet you still sympathize with the choice and understand how she could feel like she had no other. So many stories of being broken and putting yourself back together. I loved Paul D’s words “You your best thing.” They could help each other, but had to do it on their own too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Grief, and Murder