Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

9 reviews

jessica_artichoke's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Rape

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Physical abuse, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Child abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Drug use

jenxreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

5.0

This historical novel was inspirational and brutal. The storytelling captivates you from beginning to end. The journey of these characters was difficult to read through.  I loved this book because it tells the untold stories of those often neglected in society.  I definitely recommend this audiobook if you enjoy inspirational and historical narratives.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape, Classism, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Violence, Confinement, Colonisation, Murder, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Forced institutionalization

author2223's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Alcoholism

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

breads23's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Forced institutionalization

backpackingbookworm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring slow-paced

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

4.75

Some books you start reading and instantly know are going to be five-star reads. The Exiles gave me that feeling that continued right up to the final page. What. A. Book.

Feeling extremely grateful to my book club for picking this one as I had never come across this novel or author, both of which have now become firm favourites.

Firstly, the writing was nothing short of stunning. It was beautifully descriptive, shockingly realistic, and truly captivating. The parts on the ship had my stomach churning - I've never read such a detailed description of a voyage and it showed just how much research the author put into her writing and characters. There was one part that left me gasping (IYKYK) and was a huge risk that the author took but it more than paid off.

The characters were so realistic that I feel like I'm missing a small limb now that I've finished the book. I became so attached to their stories and livelihoods that it felt especially hard to part from them. This is definitely one of those books where I could have quite happily had an extra 100+ pages to keep the story from ending. Evangeline's bravery, Hazel's determination, Mathinna's resilience, and Ruby's stubbornness were all traits that produced four strong, memorable leading females that will stay with me for a long time.

Another thing I appreciated was how the author blended fact with fiction. I love well-researched books that are based, to some extent, on historical events and The Exiles offered so much more than just a fictional tale. It was a poignant and shocking insight into colonialism, injustice, abuse and mistreatment of indigenous people, and the imprisonment of female convicts sent to Australia from Britain for the main purpose of breeding. While massively eye-opening, it was also educational and made me want to expand my knowledge, especially as I now live in this country myself.

A real gem of a masterpiece. I can't wait to explore this author's other works.

Rating breakdown

• Plot/narrative - 4.8
• Writing style/readability - 4.9
• Characters - 4.8
• Diverse themes - 4.8
• Ending - 4.7

Overall - 4.8

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation and Confinement

Moderate: Rape, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, and Racism

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

ebgat's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Rape, Torture, Excrement, Child death, Death, and Forced institutionalization

sarahasyouwish's review against another edition

adventurous 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 such a well executed historical fiction novel. It is clear this was very well researched. I learned so much about  the time period and some of the many horrifying ways poor women in early 19th century England were treated as well as how colonialism impacted Australia and the indigenous population there. The characters were all well developed and fascinating to follow on their journeys, and I felt for the them and the terrible situations they found themselves in often at no fault of their own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexism, Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death

Minor: Sexual assault