Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini

77 reviews

rach_reads_books's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Gun violence

beiiadonna's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

3.5

Highly triggering and a little graphic, didn’t realise before I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Incest, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Child abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death of parent, Classism, Blood, Racial slurs, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, and Gun violence

Minor: Addiction and Abortion

smarzipan's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gun violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Death, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Incest, Racism, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault

istaisa's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Incest

ladyjtm's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I agree with the review that this is an “emotionally immersive novel” and impossible to put down. Much of this is challenging because of the brutal abuse so this book is not for everyone. This author does not write abuse with side eye. It is vivid and up close. I found myself reading the entire book in one day because I couldn’t put it down until I knew Alethea was safe. Incredible storytelling of intersectionality and trauma. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Incest, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Racism, Rape, Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

rachel_bunting93's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Hate crime, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Violence, Racism, Murder, Grief, and Death of parent

anmolu's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Deeply heart wrenching and emotional. I fell in love with Alethea. I shudder that she would've never left Leo and it took him die to for her freedom. The last sentence of the the book is satisfactory and hoepful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse

siobhanward's review

challenging medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a book where you should absolutely check the triggers before reading - other reviewers and sites have detailed info on what to expect.

This was a short, but strong work. While the dual timelines felt a bit disjointed at first, as things came together the use of the two timelines became a powerful storytelling tool. I really appreciated that Alethea was not a broken or hopeless character. She was strong and independent and forging her own way, while still lifting others up around her. Too often in these kinds of stories do authors allow their characters to become totally defeated with everything happening to them outside of their control. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Incest, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence

nokvi's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

Amazing book written completely in trini dialect. The Bread the Devil Knead takes us into an deep dive into Trinidadian life as we go thru the motions with Alethea as she deals with the demons of her past and present. Abuse from her childhood has followed her into adulthood till that is all she knows. And the lightheart manner via which these heavy topics are delivered is an icing on the cake as it is reflective of how someone in the situation may view the matter.

No notes 10/10

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Incest, and Adult/minor relationship

annalu's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Murder