Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Hide by Kiersten White

71 reviews

nixieba25f's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Murder, Ableism, Racism, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Violence, War, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, and Homophobia

gm_vak's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Lesbophobia, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Self harm, and Violence

lily_sutton's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.0

This book was the perfect length and I got through it pretty quick. The concept was really cool and well executed, but at the beginning it was difficult to keep all the characters straight. Lots of building tension and characters I was invested in. Highly recommend, especially those new to horror books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Child death

nerdybookworm23's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Gore, Murder, and Suicide

Minor: Child death and Child abuse

livlamentloathe's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Racism, Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Medical trauma, Gore, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and War

vivireads99's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Grief, Child abuse, Blood, Child death, Classism, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Self harm

atlas_shruggs's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

I've always loved media featuring deadly games, so I knew immediately that I would like this book.
It follows Mack, a young homeless woman with a tragic past, and thirteen other people as they enter a hide and go seek competition in an abandoned amusement park. Of course the game turns deadly, and supernatural, and everything goes to hell.
The writing was good, not revolutionary but well written, the plot was gripping and intriguing. My only issue at first was remembering who everyone was, I ended up writing it on a post-it and sticking it inside the cover, which really helped.
I could totally see this book being adapted into a movie or TV show, and despite being an absolute scaredy cat I would force myself to watch it.
I also didn't know that this book was queer, so that was definitely a pleasant surprise, as well as it having disability rep.
Of course heavy body horror trigger warnings, but if you're looking for a book that feels like the Hunger Games but in an amusement park, then I would definitely recommend picking this one up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Mental illness

raen99's review against another edition

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Gun violence, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Time to sprinkle in some spooky season reading💛I ran across this title at Woodman's and was captivated by the rich golden yellow cover. Along with the haunting amusement park. 

Fourteen strangers are invited to play the game hide-and-seek, the winner receiving $50,000. 

This reminded me of the movie Ready or Not, where the bride is sacrificed in their game of hide and seek. 

Except, well, the players do not know whom is doing the seeking. The rules are vague, they sign a contract that doesn't hold the hosts liable for anything that happens to the players. 

The premise of this game taking place at an abandoned amusement park is so cool, with so many places to hide. While the sun is up the players are to remain hidden and can only come out when the sun is setting. 

Hide captivated my attention from the beginning, though the jumping around from character's flashbacks to the current time period... did keep throwing me off.

 Their temporary guide, Linda, even throws in a fun quest of locating a leather bound book and returning it to her for a prize.

 I knew there had to be more to it besides a "reality tv" game of hide-and-seek. 

All of the questions and mystery are eventually answered and makes a lot of sense....a lot of twisted f'ed up sense. 

This is one of the most morbid and on edge hide-and-seek thrillers. I would listen to this audiobook again. 

Listening to many characters perspectives is a plus, getting to know them individually and eventually how they are all tied together.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Death, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

emmjay's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Very interesting reading the author’s note at the end about this being partially inspired by

the Minotaur myth

. This book was a real punch in the gut with its message of older generations and the wealthy pushing sacrifice onto the young, the poor, the disenfranchised. Reading this after a recent horrible school shooting, and the books non-subtle references to such acts, was really devastating.

I also really enjoyed our ragtag group of characters and the sweet love story that blossoms, but I’m also a sucker for a band of misfits with buckets of trauma.

Ava (not other Ava) is the hot angry veteran badass we all deserve.

That being said, maybe because it was so short or I read it in one go or my previous experience with the author was a trilogy, this did feel a bit more like a creative essay on violence and capitalism than a novel. Like I was reading a very creative and well written reflection as opposed to a fully fleshed out story.

Kiersten White continues to do imagery, horror, and a tinge of sadness for the monsters and victims a like so well. But also holy crap

absolutely monstrous fathers and familial abuse

.

Also reading a genre novel in which a character with an MFA trashes genre writing for a genuine laugh from me, having met all too many of those people myself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Child death

Moderate: Blood and Murder

Minor: Homophobia