Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

35 reviews

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

I wanted to read this book because I wanted to read more work from authors that I've enjoyed previously. I enjoyed the Me Before You series and cried my eyes out and wanted to read more of her work. This book kept popping up on my TBR and on my amazon recommended. This is one of the first historical fiction I've read, and it was an interesting read.  

This book is based on Alice Wright in England 1930s, and she is restless and stifled and decides to make an impulsive decision to marry wealthy American Bennett Van Cleve and leave her home and family behind. But in Baileyville, Kentucky, her husband favours work over his wife and is dominated by his overbearing father and Alice is not getting the adventure or the escape she was looking for. That is until she meets Margery O’Hare, a troublesome woman and a daughter of a notorious felon that the town wishes to forget. Margery’s on a mission to spread the wonder of books and reading to the poor and lost and she needs Alice’s help. Trekking alone under the big open skies, through wild mountain forests, Alice, Magery and their fellow sisters of the trail discover freedom, friendship and a life to call their own. But when Baileyville turns against them, will their belief in one another and the power of books be enough to save them? 

This book is so different from the other books of Jojo’s I've read, and it was so refreshing. I loved Alice and I just wanted to hug her so much, she was going through it during this book and all she wanted to do was live her life. I loved the found family aspect in this book especially the womanhood that grew between the ladies of the Book Club. Each of these women had their own stories and only strengths and weaknesses and I adored them all and I'm so happy they all stood up for themselves and each other and kick the small-town bullshit. I love Margery, she was like the badass sister that everyone wants and loves. The storyline was brilliant, and it kept you intrigued and hooked. The storyline did have some sadness in especially when the men were involved (rolling my eyes at the Van Cleve men). After the issues with Alice, I was more interested in the murder mystery aspect.  

This was the first historical standalone fiction I read and the only other historical fiction I've read is the Bridgerton series and those two books were completely different. Once you got through maybe 25% of the book, you end up focusing on the characters and their stories rather than the things of like horse and carriage and letters and women cannot be in men’s club.  

I cannot wait to read more of Jojo’s work especially her historical fictions.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Animal death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Violence

Minor: Incest

rpkamakura's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Incest and Sexual violence

atamano's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism, Pregnancy, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Racism

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Rape, and Medical content

ashlyncherie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book was entirely not what I was expecting, in the best way possible. It’s a story about love and friendship that brought me to tears a couple of times. Also as a person recently relocated to Kentucky, I enjoyed the history that I learned from it and have enjoyed researching the Packhorse Librarians. Although hearing how mistreated women and people of color were in that area and time was incredibly frustrating at times, this book was truly a celebration of our differences as humans and encouragement to serve. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Minor: Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Vomit

hanngigi's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Racism, Medical content, Animal death, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Minor: Incest and Stalking

amiamor's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Violence and Gun violence

miagic_tome's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

Having read other Jojo Moyes, I was ready for high emotions and strong female characters and man oh man do you get both. The way she describes raw emotion really pulls you in and you can’t help but feel as the characters do. Be prepared to feel every feeling there is and love every second. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Ableism, and Blood

Minor: Incest

smarzipan's review

slow-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Misogyny, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Violence

ftwftw's review against another edition

slow-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? Yes

2.0

This is such an important story and yet the writing was not remotely gripping. It read like a cheesy grocery store novel, especially during the allusions to romance, keeping the book feeling off-kilter for the rest dealing with serious subject matters. I appreciated the feminism and anti-racism. It may have been better told first person? The writing felt too flimsy for me to take any of it seriously. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Incest

microbemom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Racism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Bullying, Confinement, Sexism, Violence, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death of parent, Death, Incest, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cursing, Blood, Classism, and Medical trauma