Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

In The Tall Trees by Angel N. Van Atta

9 reviews

kay_reads_books6's review

adventurous dark sad tense 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

5.0

This short horror book brings so much punch in such few pages!

It took a bit at the beginning to get used to the writing style. The author writes the book in the 1st person perspective of 5 year old Mella. So of course, the writing is the inner dialog of 5 year old obsessed with Spiderman.

But man, the second half of the book has you clutching your pearls, hoping the best for adorable Mella. 

Definitely a recommendation from me for other avid horror readers!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Gore, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping

lexy_jc's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Torture, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping

readwithz's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Murder

chrissypops's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

This is a truly deeply disturbing tale told from a child's perspective. It's disturbing and made truly horrific as its from the first persons POV, with the same dialogue and language that a child would use. Angel really brought, not just the characters to life, but also just how there is nothing more horrifying than what a human is capable of.  It's a  brutal, yet a beautifully sad read. 
Heed the trigger warmings as for some,. it won't be an easy read, for others, it maybe a healing one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Misogyny

stefanie_duncan's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Violence, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

secretok's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

Oh wow. This was a powerful read for such a short book! It felt authentic in the way it was written. It’s written from the POV of a young child, and I kept getting flashes of my daughter when she was younger. Amazing book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

chaerik07's review

dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

Read it in an afternoon. Sometimes difficult to read in the childish manner the narrator, Mella, thinks and speaks, but that was kinda the way it needed to be written. There was a time or two when it diverged a little from that style, using words a child wouldn't, but that didn't detract significantly. The subject matter is difficult, as well. Nowadays, many books like this have trigger warnings for readers who have had similar traumatic experiences. I'd recommend one for this book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Rape

diannasbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Oh wow this book was really good! I read it in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. It’s told in the pov of a little girl. This book was very dark. Her daddy hurts her mom and she sees this and calls it the “bad man” that takes over her daddy. This story had my heart racing, I was tense and I bawled. The author did an incredible job and I felt like I was there. I was so immersed in the story. It’s an incredible story of survival told through the eyes of a little girl. Incredible. Please give it a read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Trafficking, Vomit, Cursing, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Torture

Minor: Cancer

janbee's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Incredible story from the pov of a little girl who's mother is held captive raped and abused. Caring for her daughter, son and also pregnant again. Beautiful written. Heartbreakingly sad 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Physical abuse, Vomit, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy