Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

16 reviews

decembermagpie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Death, and Sexual content

Minor: War

rdoose's review

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, Child death, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Adult/minor relationship

cearakelly's review

dark emotional 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: Rape, Racism, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Incest, Suicide, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Grief

trout_lily's review

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

On the one hand it is a gorgeous generations-spanning Canadian-Lebanese story about a part of Canada I know so little about- Cape Breton.  It's a story of deep trauma, sexual abuse and neglect, the secrets that are kept from others so one can survive, and the ways in which 3 sisters understand and respond to their circumstances so differently. On the other hand it is excruciatingly long. I struggled to get through it -mostly the middle chunk during what felt like decades of girls growing up in circles.  I put it down many times but I eventually finished it. It was somewhat worth finishing, but ugh,  it really, really,  really needed an editor. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual assault

donaldleitch's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Suicide, Incest, Misogyny, Child abuse, Mental illness, Infidelity, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse

kirishanthy's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual harassment, Grief, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

calandra_hudson's review

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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and War

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicide

booksnacks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Pregnancy, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Rape and Incest

kyr_6592's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

The middle third dragged endlessly and had unnecessary plot and characters. But the last third with

Rose and queer relationships

redeemed it and was much more lively. I’m always down for a multigenerational family saga and the girls’ relationships were the heart of the book. Super dark and every trigger warning. 

“Frances learns something in this moment that will allow her to survive and function for the rest of her life. She finds out that one thing can look like another. That the facts of a situation don’t necessarily indicate anything about the truth of a situation. In this moment, fact and truth become separated and commence to wander like twins in a fairy tale, waiting to be reunited by that special someone who possesses the secret of telling them apart.”

“The more Frances tells, the more she remembers. As though it were all parked, waiting behind the flimsiest of stage scenery—a scrim perhaps—and suddenly exposed by a trick of light; the countryside dissolving to reveal the battlefield, present all along.“

“all the music is in this scale. The scale is just a safe place where all the music can fold itself down and get stored. Like seeds.”

““You’re not exactly a good girl, are you?” I felt myself blush, I was actually a bit annoyed. “I haven’t thought about whether or not loving all kinds of music and loving to dance means I’m bad.” She said, “I’m sorry. What I mean is . . . you’ve got moxie. You know. Guts. You make me feel like a coward.””

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Rape, and Child abuse

dmbooks's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Chronic illness