Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

506 reviews

jennabeelack's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

---

I was familiar, as I imagine many of the readers of this book are, of the Franke family and 8 passengers story. I didn't think, going into this, that it would be worse than I thought. 

Shari Franke presents a well written and surprisingly empathetic window into her and her mother's lives. Franke, perhaps accidentally, makes a point about the cycle of abuse that vulnerable kids end up in by describing her experiences with Derek. 

I'm overjoyed that Shari and her siblings can finally have a chance to move on from this and experience peace.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Gaslighting

gracemwigley's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

lairybob's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

---

Amazing book that hits extremely close to home for me. Not only does Shari's story take place in the same state in which I live, she also belongs to the same religion I was raised in, is also an oldest sibling, experienced similar parenting techniques to those used on me growing up, and the eventual rescue of her siblings took place in the town that I worked in their only Emergency Room. My own colleagues initially treating the horrific and unspeakable wounds and condition of Shari's younger siblings that leads to Jodi and Ruby's arrest. I watched this case very closely from the moment this family went viral (thanks to children siblings who consumed 8 passengers content growing up). I'm absolutely enraged for Shari for what happened to her younger siblings and her family altogether. Her story is another stark reminder that the general public, especially behind a screen, has lost its humanity. The human ego has allowed us to consume this type of content for entertainment, which is prevalent in the industries of true crime and mystery. Our society is too conditioned for human suffering, yet, the human ego allows us to believe that these horrific things could never actually happen to us, and happens to people who are only equipped with the strength and resilience to face such trials. This is a lie. Within Shari I see a child, who was faced with the responsibility of protecting her baby siblings before she was old enough to obtain a driver's license. Let this story remind you that behind every victim is a young child, unsure why and how they showed up in this world, and are trying their best to survive within it. We should listen to these stories and revere those spontaneous heros that were made to be heros in the blink of an eye, unwilling, afraid, and like a child, just surviving in this strange world we call home. We should respect the privacy of Shari's extremely young siblings who were subject to torture, emotional abuse, intense brainwashing, and concentration camp - like conditions for, at the very least, more than a month without end. With the closeness I have to this story, I cannot stress enough that these young children were extremely close to death at the time of their rescue. It is extremely difficult to imagine worse conditions for those children to endure. Let this story ignite action in you, to protect those people in the world around you, who deep down are childlike, and in the same shoes as you, trying to survive and understand the world we live in. You too can be an older sibling, and a hero, by being a passionate advocate for what is right and signaling better behavior from society as a whole. Stop consuming content designed to engross people in the name of capitalism while also dehumanizing victims. Stop consuming family channel content that exploits children and violates their privacy and autonomy. Your attention as a consumer is your most powerful weapon, and like it or not, it is your responsibility as a member of society to weild that power and use it for good. Thank you Shari for being brave and sharing your story when it was not owed to us. I'm deeply disappointed in the spectacle the media has made of your story and as a result, continues to inflict harm on you and your siblings. I wish for Shari and her siblings to eventually find peace and privacy in life, away from the watchful eyes of a demanding and selfish public. I wish you and your siblings the bliss and freedom to believe what you want, to act in whatever way is true to your soul, and have all this without the criticism and dogma of our cunning society waiting to pick apart your choices. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting

kayladakoala's review against another edition

4.5

dark informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment

Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Pregnancy

nostoat's review against another edition

---

I started writing something out for this but Storygraph ate it 😭 It feels wrong to rate this book so I won't be. I deeply related to Shari at many points. I respect her commitment to protecting her siblings’ privacy and right to their own stories. And I'm so happy for all of them that that part of their lives is over.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts

laashpa's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark inspiring sad medium-paced

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts

elenavarg's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

---

It’s hard to ”rate” someone’s life story, but I think Franke tells hers in a very compelling way. I personally highly respected the way she refuses to tell her siblings’ stories for them, and how she didn’t use her story as a platform to proselytize for her religion.

I hope that from now on, Franke and her siblings get to live a loving and private life. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Religious bigotry

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

sanctuary's review against another edition

5.0

emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts

maenanigans's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship

overbooked207's review against another edition

5.0

emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment