Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Beloved by Toni Morrison

60 reviews

eahaynes's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt

katerinatroyanovich's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

Oh. My. God.  Beloved is a heartbreaking, poignant, horrific view into the shameful legacy of slavery in the United States. Written like poetry and haunting in every way, I took my time with this book. I wish I read it with a book club so we could dissect passages together so I would recommend at least reading this with a buddy. Sometimes it was so dark it was difficult to read (the iron bit, among many other things, is so upsetting - I had no idea this was a thing) but I’m so glad I did. A must read for Americans. This book deals with themes of generational trauma, collective and individual pain, living in the past, being unable to move forward, and the power of community healing and support all wrapped up in a bit of a ghost story. I will absolutely read Morrison’s other works now. She has such a unique writing style and voice! It is easy to see why this is a classic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Colonisation

ameliaow3ns's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Violence

Minor: Rape and Blood

bookhoe1's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

It's definitely not an easy book to read but an important one. Morrisons language is stunning and has so many layers. There are a lot of dark scenes and topics, and some parts are difficult to read. I needed to take a lot of breaks while reading it. But it's such an important work in the literary canon, and for a reason. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Blood, and Pregnancy

m1nature's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

A tough, but important read.
Intense and disturbing, but most of all full of truth.

It's not a book I would recommend to everyone, and it's not one I particularly enjoyed (although the writing was beautiful), but it's a story that made me think and consider how different decisions can be when life has been lived in a context that is so far flung from my own.

Thought provoking and moving and important.

Please make note of the trigger warnings before reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

ehwesson's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book was very heavy but a good rood. I am glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Cursing and Abortion

icegoddess09's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, and Emotional abuse

sailorpunk's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

viporras's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

bluecanarylite's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

5.0

Beautiful, powerful, haunting.  Not an easy read but worthwhile.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy