Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Himmel und Hölle by Malorie Blackman

12 reviews

bloodmaarked's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

1.5

honey what in the hell was this? this is not the book i remember reading as a kid

✧ full review on my tumblr ✧

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Racism, Classism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, Gun violence, Mental illness, Alcohol, Bullying, Sexual assault, Suicide, Child abuse, Grief, and Police brutality

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Blood, and Colonisation

milele23's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Hate crime

kshertz's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

Wow this book is excellent. It would be 5 stars but it took me a minute to warm up and get into the book. But the concept of two best friends, on opposite sides, falling in love, it’s a tale as old as time. It felt like enslavement and north Ireland mixed together and a resistance was thrown in. The ending is unbelievable and excellent. Read it just for the last paragraph!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Racism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Misogyny, and Child abuse

gracey72's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion and Domestic abuse

Minor: Bullying and Vomit

emmagalt's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Classism, Hate crime, Death of parent, Colonisation, Death, Racism, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

izzyvioletgrace's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

An amazing book facing many difficult topics: racism, societal standards and mental health. I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Stalking, Violence, Alcoholism, Mass/school shootings, Bullying, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Genocide, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Torture, Abortion, Blood, and Addiction

jennaaaa's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping

Minor: Suicide

audc's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

(READ as a recommendation from a Friend)
I think the last 200 pages were written first because of the quality of the writing.

The premise of this book is SOOO interesting and the world SOO intriguing, but the author does little to even scratch the surface of this iceberg and decides instead to focus on the melodrama and break neck, choke-full plot twists.

The characters were TOO young! The thoughts and series of events that the author needed a certain age to process causes a disconnect between their age (13 and 14/15) and their voice. The author put them through So much and the impossibility that these children handle something that would even cause adults multiple breakdowns; they were more than in over their heads with the MULTIPLE conflicts they faced in one lifetime. It also felt a little rushed as the ramifications and significance of certain events weren’t allowed to sink in or explored.

The character changes gave me a WHIPLASH!! One moment Magaret is hopeful for change and the next she’s spiteful. Minerva is horrid and written as a villain for the entire book and not in a way where we could relate.
And I really felt like there were there only to advance the story. Exhibit A: Lynette

I don’t know if it was just me but I found it really difficult to read in Callum’s perspective. He goes back and forth through a lot of emotions and is not only unsure what he wants but doesn’t have a fixed identity. (I appreciate how he was written as he was going through A LOT, however, his emotions would take sudden quantum leaps.)

I didn’t feel any connection to the characters.

To the point where I wasn’t invested in Mr. McGregor’s trial or Lynette’s suicide.

The characters were never really given good motive and that made them feel one dimensional.

I find it really hard to believe that Callum falls in love with Sephy simply for the reason that they grew up together…because she acts like a child (ofcourse) a majority of the book!

Like, only Mr.Hadley remains in character.

Perhaps because of Sephy’s age, but fir a lot of the book -except when convenient- Sephy is not able to get even a fraction if the stuff Callum is going through (maybe this was done on purpose) but that was frustrating. 

This is supposed to be a reality where Africa colonises, however, for a large portion of the story (descriptions, religion, clothes, food, buildings, government etc.) has a very Western glasses over it… This disappointed me the most. Some concepts or things (like hanging) were included but not explored or explained and may have gone unnoticed to the inexperienced. 

Though it is once implied that Crosses are as violent as Noughts - Callum’s thoughts on discrimination in court rulings-, we only read them committing justice system crimes/ mundane harassment/ segregation etc. while Noughts LITERALLY bombed A Mall! I don’t know if the author did this subconsciously or on purpose… 

A nice quote
“And the fear I felt then was like a moment spent dying.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Kidnapping, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Abortion, Rape, and Suicide

Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

bungal0w's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-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

This book's plot line was so reflective of our society today and really easily makes you stop and think. Are the characters loveable- its complicated because the main characters, Callum and Sephy, are so deeply in love and trapped in their own world that they collectively are the only thing you can focus on which personally didnt want me to love one or the other but leave them without a specific favourite and no bias as i read.  however, the characters had only one personality and the plot was predictable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Abandonment

tprsjr's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Gun violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Pregnancy