Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

3 reviews

nimeneth's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

2.5

I'm the minority here but nothing really... Happens. There's a lot of misery, but it's all told, not shown. The writing style is very much "this happened then this happened then this happened" and while there is dialogue and some small bits of introspection, everything felt a bit flat. The "twists" were all fairly predictable. I also had a bit of a problem with each of the endings for the women. Hazel and Ruby's endings were too neat and tidy, Evangeline's was too drawn out, and Mathinna didn't really get one. I'm left feeling unsatisfied with all of them.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Death, Confinement, Colonisation, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Classism, and Child death

kaela_arcuri's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, and Murder

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative 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? Yes

4.25

This is precisely what historical fiction should be.  It's an intimate story focusing on two young women and a girl against the backdrop of settling Australia by the British.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dysphoria, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Excrement, Genocide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Animal death, Bullying, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence