Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

9 reviews

sorkka's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Confinement

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Trafficking

dapperoreo's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Religious bigotry, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Vomit, Trafficking, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Self harm, Cursing, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

frances_frances's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Another understated yet deeply impactful read from Claire Keegan. Foster is still my favorite but Small Things Like These packs a similar punch. I've always preferred when books and TV shows leave me wanting more rather than over-complicating or otherwise drawing out a narrative. Keegan achieves this expertly with her ambiguous endings that leave me feeling both unsettled and satisfied.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Confinement, Pregnancy, and Death of parent

jackbifrost's review

reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Pregnancy, Trafficking, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Terminal illness and Suicidal thoughts

rcsreads's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

2.25

I felt like this ended just as it was getting interesting. I also felt like the perspective of a middle class, white man was the least needed pov for a story about the mis-treatment of women and girls. 
 The writing is fairly basic, and the characters felt flat. The phrase "he released a breath he didn't realise he'd been  holding" was used, which is possibly the most cliche sentence in the history of literature!
 It was fine, I read it in an afternoon and it brings awareness about Magdalen laundries in a way your granny could read without being shocked. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Trafficking, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Child death, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Grief, and Physical abuse

lizziea229's review

dark sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Confinement

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

wasabby's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Body horror, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, Physical abuse, and Trafficking

rieviolet's review against another edition

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

4.0

This is not by any means a bad book (or rather novella) but I think that its shortness left me wanting a bit more, in terms of plot exploration and side characters' in-depth portrayal. 

The main theme is hinted at quite a lot but it is not really properly delved into
and I think that readers might be left a bit confused, especially if you know little (like me) about this aspect of Irish history. 

I still think that it is a pleasant read, with a nice writing style and, above all, I quite liked how the main character was depicted and his narrative trajectory. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Confinement

Moderate: Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Cancer, Bullying, Vomit, Suicide, Trafficking, and Excrement

sidneyreads_'s review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping and Trafficking

Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Vomit