Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Darling Girl by Liz Michalski

23 reviews

kryptidnerd's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

1.5

This book turned into a hate read even before half way. The main character Holly is just plain unlikable and can’t further her plot without the men in her life otherwise she just whines and runs in circles. Peter Pan himself can be a villain but the way it was handled here was very icky and left a bad taste in my mouth. Hook was really the only likable person in this book even if his characterization was shallow and used solely for a romance that had no flavor and was very unneeded. 

The plot dragged so many times throughout this book to the point it felt like the author ran out of ways to end it so she just resorted to do the final resolution off page as the easy way out. A lot was left unexplained on why the Darlings were special in the first place and why so many people in their lives reflect characters from the Peter Pan book. In short I have read better dark and twisted adaptations of fairytales and this wasn’t even close to being it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Child abuse

telstsia's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

3.0

Interesting concept, but it dragged in some parts and I feel like it could have used a bit more trimming. Was also disappointed that the end was very "tell, don't show " so it really didn't have a strong resolution. The main characters did seem very human though, if not frustrating at times. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Child abuse

emilyjeanne's review

slow-paced

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

0.25

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME

Main character is a textbook helicopter parent, and can’t figure out why her kid keeps pushing her away. She’s described as having multiple PhDs, but is somehow so, so stupid. She also kept mentioning she’d do ANYTHING for her kids, but never actually did anything, just threw money at other people to do stuff for her. 

I could not root for her as a protaganist because I really just could not stand her character, and all the other characters fell completely flat. They had no personalities, and none of them really progressed the plot at all.

Also, this book has a huge amount of content that should come with content/trigger warnings but doesn’t.

CW: sexual assault, drug use, death of a minor, forced medical testing on minors, suicidal ideation, death of a spouse, kidnapping. 

Honestly there’s probably more but this book was so bad I can’t even remember them all, since most of them had nothing to do with the plot anyway.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child abuse, Rape, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, Car accident, and Gaslighting

ggreen1379's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Medical content, Child death, Grief, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Drug use, Murder, and Child abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Blood

saramoser's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

TW: SA, Rape, drugs, child death, child abuse, injecting children with drugs 

After reading a lot of reviews, I was so worried I would not like this book. But the book is exactly how it’s described-a dark and twisted Peter Pan, while I think the author could’ve done more to give back stories and further some character development, I still was stuck wanting to find out what’s next.  I was deep into the book by the first chapter, and was wanting to do nothing but read the book and find out what happens by the end.

I would suggest for someone who wants the dark and twisted (not just dark) side of Peter Pan. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Grief, Kidnapping, and Murder

deldc's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad 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

3.0

it was a beautifully written reimagination of Peter Pan. everything was given a brand new turn of perspective from the original story -- Peter Pan, what happened to him and Wendy, to Michael, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook!, and even the playwright J.M. Barrie was given a new light -- i liked it all so much. i liked that from this idea sprung a strategy to tackle pressing issues like rape, drugs, child-abuse, and even feminism. it made the premise all the more interesting.

it also moved me as it is a story about mothers -- how they'd be willing to do anything for their children; they'd do anything they think what's right at the call of the occasion. not only mothers, actually, but also sisters like Nan, who cares and loves like a real mother. i didn't expect how timely this book would impress me, and i envied Holly for having a mother like Jane. i was surprised at how she acted as a mom in the end. i admired her from the moment she believed Holly and showed alliance to her without any doubt.

i just think that almost 3/4 of the book were too draggy and makes the reader hyperfixate on Peter when the ending was intended to be anticlimactic for him, at least, which he deserves by the way. it solidified the conviction that Peter isn't, nor any men, are the heroes of this story -- but women - mothers.

all in all, it has an intelligent and beautiful writing. i highly approve the science references -- it was accurate.

i give it a 3! :)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Drug use

trippalli's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

A thoughtful modernization and continuation of the Peter Pan legacy with now deserves, sadness and the struggles we see in modern society, business, anti-aging and beauty products industry, drugs, school competitions and sports, money and family drivers, research and ethics, survivors and family tragedies Los and coping. Overall a thoughtful family drama.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Rape, Grief, Confinement, Addiction, and Abandonment

Moderate: Car accident, Gaslighting, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Death

ezismythical's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Grief, Sexual violence, Rape, Car accident, Toxic relationship, and Death

thenymphsvoice's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I was enthralled and annoyed and enthralled and engaged and enthralled and angry and enthralled and disgusted.
In short this book had me a little bit all over emotionally. It reads kind of like a romance novel… a little Colleen Hooveresque YET not a real big focus on the romance. 
For me reading this novel could be infuriating because I am a mother but I am also the daughter of a… not so great parent so I was seeing the reasoning even if the actions were… regrettable seems like a nice way to put it.
It did not shy away from some disturbing themes, some new ones for me actually. Kind of like a Crime Scene Investigation Detective Drama combined with a mild fantasy light romance novel. 
I don’t regret reading it. I suspect I will forget having read it in 6mos 😬

it was a very strange choice by the author to kill the bbeg off screen??? Mildly unsatisfying

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Rape, Child abuse, and Drug abuse

prof_pelon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Rape, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Death, Child death, Medical content, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Addiction

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Grief, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Pedophilia, Drug use, Stalking, Child death, Car accident, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness