Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

80 reviews

elleneam's review against another edition

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

4.0

A thought-provoking wintery read. Despite what others have said I thought the brevity of the book worked really well, allowing it to be slow-paced and set on just a few days without it becoming boring. There was a very interesting premise, exploring the Magdalen Laundries without being too graphic, and with a large emphasis on the things unsaid. The inner dialogue style worked really well, allowing the novel to focus on the different influences which cause people to act or not to act when they see something happening.

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readerette's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

4.5

A touching look inside of a person struggling with questions probably most adults have had about what is really stopping us from helping people not doing as well as we are in life, even if we aren't rich. Mrs. Kehoe's character seemed a little like a puzzle piece not quite sized to fit, but the story flowed smoothly and brings to light a women's issue I had not heard of before. 

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annick's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

The last third was so moving. I began highlighting passages. And I want to revisit them again. So many thoughts stirred by this novella. I hope to read more from this writer in future 

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kkopacetic327's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Claire Keegan packs SO MUCH into such a small text. And this is such an important topic. 

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rainbowarpaint's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5


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196books's review

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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

3.0

small things like these is a slow, atmospheric read whose winter setting of a small irish town takes center stage as much as the main character bill's internal terrain. a sense of discomfort pervades thruout the novella, not only abt what bill doesn't know but also what the rest of the town does and is complicit in. this is perhaps most suitable for those who dont mind a subtle, slower read.

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notthatcosta's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I had a lot of anticipation before reading this, and overall I found it very well written and well paced, albeit a lot more subtle than I was expecting. This is my first time reading Claire Keegan's work but I've since seen some reviews remarking that her other stuff is a lot darker than this, which intrigues me. 

The dialogue was particularly strong from the supporting townspeople, the opaqueness of which complemented the earnestness and pathos of the protagonist. I really got a good sense of his temperament, motivations and backstory, which is an achievement in a novella. 

I appreciated the economy of the writing and how it created an air of tension and mystery whilst providing enough exposition to keep you in the story. It made me hungry for more, which is the mark of a good writer, especially of shorter books. 

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saythename's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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elizaob's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? No

4.75


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