Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

17 reviews

mysteriesandhistories's review

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? Yes

3.25

This was recommended to me in Waterstones and I kind of wish it hadn’t been. Well written and plotted, undoubtedly. But relentlessly disturbing and without a chink of redeeming light. It’s upset me quite a lot actually. Which is a sign of the author’s talent, but not an experience I’d care to repeat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death, Grief, Pedophilia, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

musings_of_a_middleaged_mum's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Confinement, Mental illness, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Ableism, Car accident, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

karlzlee's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Torture, Racism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, and Violence

nialiversuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Ableism, Self harm, Grief, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Vomit, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Suicide, and Pregnancy

rosamund4096's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

3.5

It took me a little while to get in to this book but soon I was gripped and couldn't put it down. I found the ending a bit unsatisfying, I would have liked a bit more time to see the impact of the book's resolution on the different characters.

I found Peters arc a bit frustrating, at times he seemed totally lucid and in touch with what was right and wrong, which was hard to believe as it wasn't clear what had changed to alter his thinking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Violence, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Torture

seest12's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Sexual content, Murder, Rape, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Death, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

sophie______a's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Rape, Car accident, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Pregnancy

staceyinthesticks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia and Confinement

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Grief, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Abandonment, and Murder

bookellys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

I’ve seen a lot of hype for this book and I think it’s worth it… mostly.

The book alternates between chapters from Sally’s perspective and Peter’s. Whilst the Sally chapters are in the here and now and offer some great character development, the Peter chapters span 40+ years, proving some great back story. Most chapters are short and snappy and I found myself flying through this book!

Let’s talk about the ending - for how long the book had taken to fill you in on backgrounds and build the characters, it felt a little rushed. I think the last chapter for Peter was the exact right ending though (if you can say that?!) but Sally’s ending was disappointing and I don’t think in line with the Sally we, and the characters in the book, had grown to love.

Also, what’s with the book cover? I don’t feel this represents the book at all! Maybe future editions could consider something more in line with the story (a piano or tatty teddy bear perhaps?) or at least closer to Sally’s actual description in the book.

Overall, I think 4 stars is fair and I would definitely recommend you picking this one up if it’s on your TBR.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Racism, Torture, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence

bpgentry's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Mental illness, Rape, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Child abuse