Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

We the Animals by Justin Torres

18 reviews

dawntin's review

emotional fast-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

2.5

I did not like the author’s writing style. This book is semi-autobiographical, but it felt like it was hinting at something I couldn’t quite get the whole time. There were moments that seemed like they were going to lead up to something more but never did, like when the narrator’s mother was

being cared for by her female supervisor and the supervisor kisses her. Maybe it was to show the mother possibly being queer but in the closet? I’m not sure, and it was never mentioned again.

There was such a heavy focus on the narrator’s childhood that the ending felt like it came out of nowhere, since there was little buildup to it. The whole book made me uncomfortable, and I get that it’s probably the purpose of the book, but it just was not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Forced institutionalization

ajay913's review

reflective 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? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Homophobia

Minor: Abandonment and Forced institutionalization

gotnoculture's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Bullying and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

during a later scene the boys are shown incest pornography by a neighborhood teen and this scene is quite troubling

nikkiehippie0's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

There is nothing in this world I like better than a book that feels alive and lived in. We The Animals is such a heartbreakingly perfect slice of a life in a book. It gives you a these glorious views into a group of brothers and their parents so fiercely in love and connected to each other it hurts them all. Every word, every line in this book is well placed and matters. Nothing is drawn out or wasted. Torres paints pictures with his prose that leave you aching when he is done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Homophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Child abuse

cardiffbabs's review

challenging emotional fast-paced

4.0

Fierce, poetic, challenging 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

theperfectblues's review

dark emotional sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

vivvs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

read in 2 hrs … just didn’t strike enough of a chord with me to get over 3 stars. heartbreaking though. 

everyone who says it was “too perverse” has never read anything heavy. the metaphors and symbolism were conveyed just fine for me. if you aren’t ready for a book that talks about sex in disgusting ways don’t start here i guess? …

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Homophobia

Moderate: Outing, Domestic abuse, and Rape

sorenzs's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Beautiful writing style. Beautiful book. Some parts were hard to get through - in the emotional sense - but I couldn’t stop reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Outing

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Alcohol, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Rape, Incest, and Pedophilia

Minor: Infidelity and Addiction

uhhjeepers's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

3.75

Read for school.

This is a fast-paced, vignette styled narrative that tells the coming of age story of the youngest of three brothers. This book really came together for me at the end, and I strongly recommend it. It is emotional and honest and the writing is spectacular. The growth from the narrative feeling like it’s told from a child to a teenager really stuck with me, like I could read the changes on the page.

Check for TWs. They’re brief and don’t go into excruciating detail, but I still definitely felt them.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Outing, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization

kananineko's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Abandonment, Body horror, Cursing, Homophobia, Outing, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Self harm, and Bullying