Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor

6 reviews

samsearle's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Car accident, Homophobia, Rape, and Child death

prittypeaches's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.25

This is a bleak book... if you are here on Storygraph you know, but this is one that you should check the triggers for.

Written like a near-history historical fiction (set in early 2000s small town Australia), it's a very dark thriller - like Southern Noir only it's Outback Noir. It's great if you like to be reminded of Dunkaroos and Nokia 3310s while you read your thriller novel.

This book was long and a bit slow in setting out. I didn't know going in how I'd deal with a child missing/dead but it was hard work. I'm glad I read it but I'm not sure I can recommend it unless people want to read dark and bleak. There are many crimes in this book that keep the bleakness coming throughout, is isn't ONLY a book about a missing girl case.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Car accident, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Murder, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Bullying

Minor: Animal death and Alcoholism

dog attack

madluck's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Car accident, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Child death, and Bullying

Moderate: Rape

nataliii's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Mysteries of any kind aren’t usually what I gravitate towards in my very moody reading habits, but a few things in the blurb stood out to me so I thought I’d give it a try. I’ve been drawn to Australian narratives recently, past and present, and while some reviews mentioned that they didn’t feel a sense of place in this story, I have to disagree. To me it felt both familiar and foreign, small town where everybody knows your name + Aussie quirks (from an American point of view here ✔️). While the action lost me here and there, this story really succeeded in its heart and had some beautiful, heart-breaking emotional pops that made the book for me. The voices of the children were well done and the Greek chorus super eerie, and the adult were all just so sad (so real). 

The missing child element was really difficult - I don’t think I can read another story like this for a long while. 

Thanks to NetGalley and FlatIron for a digital ARC of this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape

Minor: Rape

booksbytheglass's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.0

this one was not for me … but I appreciated it greatly!

there was a lot that I wanted to love about this one: the missing (kidnapped probably murdered) person, the small town suspicions, the sketchy family, I could go on and on

however, the writing of the plot was not it for me. the dialogue was few and far between, with the switching POVs telling their side of the story rather than in conversational writing. 

I would have loved it more if the mystery held more of an impact and allowed the reader to figure it out for themselves. instead, the story was unfolded bit by bit and spoon fed to the readers 😅

not to mention the kids who were friends with missing child esther had the WORST memories and literally could not understand that withholding information was life or death for their “friend” 

I WAS SO IRRITATED THE ENTIRE TIME 🥴

overall, it had great potential, but the writing wasn’t the correct style to fit the themes of the book, in my opinion. 

thank you to netgalley and flatiron books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! 

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: brazil sauvignon blanc

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Child death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

kellyung's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Rape, Kidnapping, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Mental illness, Animal death, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Ableism, and Incest