Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Darling Girl by Liz Michalski

30 reviews

uphorikbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Despite some of the confusing storytelling in the beginning, and the rushed romantic relationships, this was a really enjoyable and easy read.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence

kacithebookaddict's review

dark

3.0

"And because it wouldn't be Holly's life if everything didn't go to shit at the same time..." 
I don't think there has ever been a quote that could sum up an entire book so well until now. I love stories that are dark versions of the ones I loved as a kid. But this book? DARK. I've never read something so horrifying. Peter Pan the sexual predator and drug dealer- not my cup of tea. HOWEVER!! What bothered me the most is that Holly spent the whole book running around like a chicken with its head cut off. It's almost as if the author just lost her timeline for the book and just started throwing everything she could think of into it. 
 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

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.

---

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

---

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

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

---

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

sfbookgirl's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I am sad to report that Darling Girl missed the mark for me. And while Peter Pan is my favorite children's fantasy story, evil Peter Pan just doesn't do it for me. In this tale, we learn more about Wendy's granddaughter Holly and her daughter Eden who suffers from a rare aging disorder. After Eden mysteriously disappears, Holly knows immediately who is responsible: the one and only Peter Pan. Sent on a wild goose chase, Holly frantically looks for her daughter with the help of a private detective named Christopher Cooke (hmm look at that coincidence).

I found the plot of Darling Girl to be all over the place and ultimately, boring. There are quite a few trigger warnings like kidnapping, rape, and abuse that just did not sit well with me, nor do they seem necessary. The elements of romance were downright strange and oddly disturbing...and also did not seem necessary. Other readers have enjoyed Darling Girl, but this retelling of Peter Pan just didn't sit right with me. I am curious to hear your thoughts if you have read it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Car accident, Sexual assault, and Child death

Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Grief and Suicidal thoughts

reading_oncoffee's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I love this adaptation of the classic Peter pan story. Even with it shining Peter in a more dark, horrid light, somehow I can really see it working. This book is what I would imagine the Grimm version of this story being and it was executed really well. My main problems are the few plot holes that were rushed to be concluded. I feel like there was all of that drama surrounding her business and the resolution was just thrown in there at the end in what really should have been called an epilogue, not a chapter. 

Lovely story!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug use, Sexual violence, Rape, and Drug abuse

adventuresinfictionland's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I’ve not read a Peter Pan retelling in the past, nor have I read a Liz Michalski. I want more of both in the future! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Death, Drug use, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking

elwan_enchanted's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Child death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Abandonment, Blood, Murder, Addiction, Car accident, Chronic illness, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, and Rape