Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

5 reviews

hannahleila's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicide, and Sexual violence

raisinreads's review

dark emotional

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

I don't know what to rate this book bc parts were quite well written but also judging by the way many parts were written i don't think i like the author as a person 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual assault, Rape, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Xenophobia, Sexism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Violence, Toxic friendship, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Bullying

possiblymaybe's review against another edition

sad

• Loveable characters? No

the beginning of this novel raised my hopes, i was really expecting a great read. then the story continued and was just irritating. if it was edited to half the length and actually given a decent development and ending to the story, it would be a good book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, and Gaslighting

msgtdameron's review

dark reflective 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? No

5.0

An excellent story.  Astrid is left after her mother kills her lover out of jealousy.  The story leads us through Astrids life for the next six years with an afterward of her aging out of the foster care system and her mother getting a new trial.  This happens nine years after the original murder.  The world changes and the one who grows is Astrid.  This work is her story.  Her mother is  very much like the Lost Boys in Pete Pan in that he ne ver chooses to grow up.  Astrid is hardened and changed.  She is raped in her first placement, turned into a slave in her second, starved both emotionally and physically in her third, loved in her fourth, placed in the children's home, and ends up digging through trash to find stuff to sell at flee markets.  All of this forces her to grow while her mother just sits in prison, writes poetry, and schemes ways to use her new found audience to get her a new trial.  Astrid becomes self sufficient and her mother continues to be a narsisitic meglomaniac.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Drug use

donnique's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence