Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

35 reviews

hannasandmann's review

challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Gun violence, Grief, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Suicide, Child death, and Homophobia

Moderate: Rape and Child abuse

Minor: Religious bigotry, Addiction, and Self harm

kassidyreads's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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: Death, Violence, Gun violence, Rape, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Misogyny, Drug use, Child death, Animal death, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicide, Bullying, Homophobia, Child abuse, and Pregnancy

lizziaha's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I worry that I might hold Fredrick Backman to too high of a standard, and that a 4.5 for him might be a 5 for most other authors. The way that he writes is so compelling that it might just outweigh my (limited) critiques. His maelstrom of characters is just a bit overwhelming in this book. It’s realistic, of course, to two little forest towns. But the trajectories of all of these characters doesn’t quite all come to a head. There is no good ending because the characters are so fleshed out that they demand a life story beyond the capacity of the book, and the ending began to feel like a recitation of other book’s summaries; that’s how big these characters are. Because of this, I think the book might’ve been more cohesive if the focus had been narrowed on fewer characters, even if they all still played their roles. But oh! These characters have gotten into my heart. I’ve been thinking a lot about Backman’s flavor of found families. Some found families can become saccharine, but Backman’s are all undercut by something a little darker. There’s a poetic justice to it. After all, humanity is loathe to come together except in times of crisis. But there is so much love in the face of that, and Backman manages to put that into words in a way that it feels less like words and more like a feeling. (and because of that, i’m off to read fanfiction and cry now) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Violence, Rape, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Classism, Drug use, Miscarriage, Addiction, Vomit, Self harm, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Bullying, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Child abuse

emalillah's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Death of parent, Blood, Grief, Cancer, Gun violence, Violence, Terminal illness, Outing, Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Racism, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Murder, Mental illness, Suicide, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Car accident, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Drug use, Child death, and Bullying

redhothabanero's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

The end of the trilogy is so bittersweet. I loved this book (and series) even when it absolutely emotionally wrecked me. Character development was superb which made the deaths hurt that much more. Backman really captures what it means to be human.  How our mistakes affect the people around us. The good that's inside people but also the violence and the hatred that comes so easily. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gun violence, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide and Child abuse

beccahblue's review

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Bullying, Rape, Sexual violence, Classism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Miscarriage

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The saga of Beartown comes to a tragic and triumphant close.

“This hurts too much to touch with words.”

I knew from the first page of The Winners that it was going to wreck me. I was not prepared. 

It took me over a month to read this book partially because work has been crazy and I haven’t had much time to read, but also because I was dreading the end of Beartown, saying goodbye to this town, these characters - especially one in particular. It was rough, but what a beautiful ride. Backman is my favorite for a reason. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicide, Medical trauma, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Gaslighting, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Outing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

clarissa_joy's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

thehmkane's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Dammit Backman, you've done it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Addiction, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Drug use, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Suicide, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Ableism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Miscarriage

llayaz's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Vomit, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Gun violence, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Child death, Child abuse, Animal death, Alcoholism, and Alcohol