Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Girls by Emma Cline

76 reviews

raisinreads's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

It seems like her writing style is hit or miss w people, I quite enjoyed it. I do agree with other reviewers that the present day plotline added little.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

shay_books's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Child death, Rape, Pedophilia, and Murder

issyd23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Like a more interesting version of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood 4⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Rape, Addiction, Body horror, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Self harm, and Sexual harassment

plumdustsuns's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

1.0

I think Cline is a really talented writer and has a way with words that you come across only once in a while within books. I had picked up this book going off of some prompt/review saying it was about a lesbian and a cult. While that isn’t wrong, it didn’t quite encapsulate the entirety of the situation either. 
I think personally the book would have profited a lot from Evie being upwards of 17. While it would have taken away a bit of the hopeless lamb, but it wouldn’t have been that much. I think it would have lent to Evie and Suzanne’s relationship and Evie’s character in general.

There wasn’t much going on in their relationship besides Evie pining, not until Suzanne let Evie out of the car and visited her at boarding school, was some texture added. It would have made a more engaging story to have Suzanne a bit more fleshed out and receptive rather than this idealized character Evie was projecting everything onto. And the ‘connection’ she kept talking about in terms of her and Suzanne would have been justified and engaging. 
  Aside from that, all the SA on a 14 year old and this  promiscuity put upon them in literature makes me really uneasy and angry, honestly. I don’t think teenagers are ever that deliberate of sex in the way it’s presented in books like this. While it is shown that Evie is forced into it, it’s played off for the most part by her being like “oh well,” until the Mitch situation. Even that didn’t have enough anger or was presented in a bad light. I’m always aware in books of what writers project onto their characters and of what age because it is a choice, and not inspired off of true events ( entirely here anyway). 
I also found it really redundant that all of this happened over a fucking record deal. I wish it was something else and the bad blood between Russel and Mitch had more weight and tension, especially for the girls. (I read up and see  this is what happened in real life but just copy pasting these events without much of a weight or exploration just feels like a waste and triggering for no reason.) I wish it would have subverted the tale by instead having the girls turn on Russel somehow and kill him instead. That would have made a better story line.

 
I kept reading this book as it had a premise for having the opportunity to explore queerness, girlhood and the patriarchy in depth. However, besides from some insightfully written paragraphs on what it is like to be a girl, it feels rather flat in all the other departments. And it felt rather disappointing to finish this triggering book to get through with all the events just falling flat onto nothing overall and by the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Drug use, Rape, Blood, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

_eleanorgreen8_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - i read it in 3 days and it had me gripped from the start. Cline's writing is so poetic, beautifully capturing feelings and setting, and always delving deep into every character. i felt it was the perfect mix of concise and intricate. i also found the main character relatable in lots of ways, and felt i could understand all her thoughts and emotions. perhaps i was hoping for more plot twists, as you could see almost everything coming, but maybe that was intentional. overall a really dark but stunning read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Drug use

Moderate: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Child death, Misogyny, Body horror, Gaslighting, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcohol

bluemoon8's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

 A beautifully written first novel by Emma Cline, who tell the story of a young girl who is drawn in a cult. In a prose that feels as langid as a long teenage summer, Emma Cline masterfully dissects power imbalances and slowly sets the scene of a gruesome murder.
Her depiction of teenage angst and loneliness is on point, and she puts in evidence how some men can feed on those feelings. Emma Cline manages to brilliantly suggest how easily monsters can hide among men.
This first novel is very promising. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

frog_appreciator's review against another edition

2.0

I understand the point of the book is to be uncomfortable to read but I don’t think I enjoyed it. Feels a bit icky to have resemblance to a real life cult. While I appreciate the intent of showcasing the internalized misogyny of girls and the way the world treats them in general, reading it felt a bit too much like trauma porn. There were one or two pages that stood out to me like wow I felt that, but not enough to make it worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child abuse and Murder

Minor: Eating disorder

effortlessly_uncool's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual content

Minor: Child death and Murder

thisbookrox's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Death, Drug abuse, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, and Child abuse

Minor: Death of parent

annagerman's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic friendship, Murder, Child abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship