Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Here Again Now by Okechukwu Nzelu

9 reviews

bluminescent's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

loved it, such a heartbreaking and yet hopeful story with seamless narratives and great pacing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Death

Minor: Child abuse

junglejelly's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is absolutely heartbreaking but so human.

The relationships explored are complex from fathers and sons to best friends to father figures.

It would have been 5 stars but I found the ending a bit rushed and would have loved to have delved more into these characters.

I would completely recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Racism and Death of parent

Minor: Medical content

leahthenerd's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

1.5

TL;DR- very tumblr


this felt poorly written, slow paced, and with emphasis on sections that could have been half as long while other sections needed so much more for me to care about it. the first third of the book is telling you two characters are flawed but in love, without really showing it. i was uninvested, so everything that followed was just an uphill slog. was really hoping for something here but it was just too earnest in a way that real conversations just aren't. too on the nose at points and too cliche at others. there were tiny moments of hope, but overall this needed better editing, better writing, better plot and better character development. also

killing off your main character halfway through? having alcoholism and child abuse and cancer and parental abandonment all wedged in to one story? very fanfic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.0

here again now is a beautifully written novel whose themes of love and masculinity are skillfully, tenderly explored, one in which i also nevertheless find unsatisfying bc of loose ends and plot points that are left inconclusive and ever evasive.

while i get what nzelu's trying to do, imo the story's structure and various interspersing timelines can be distracting and not as effective as i think the author hopes them to be. the book could be more trimmed as well; the current languid pacing, esp in the first half, often makes reading it a drudging task to trudge thru. i also dont quite wholly empathize w/ some of the characters, particularly ekene whose characterization and reasons for action baffle me at times. 

the novel, its characters and themes are painted w/ a tender hand and oft heart-tugging writing, but would've benefited from a more solid foundation and tied up loose ends.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual content, Racism, and Medical content

Minor: Body shaming

znvisser's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

This is a story about three complicated men with very complicated relationships with each other. There is some beautiful writing to be found here but at the same time it’s richness didn’t always contribute to the story: it wasn’t until I was a third in that I started to understand what I was actually reading and I feel like the part after was supposed to be more emotional but the elaborate phrasing made it feel too distant to me. Nevertheless a beautiful study of these characters, especially two of them, so I am glad I stuck with this in the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Alcoholism, Death, and Homophobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, and Incest

Minor: Cancer and Drug use

aaronjdilkes's review

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death, Addiction, Grief, and Death of parent

nialiversuch's review

emotional 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, and Medical content

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Rape

Minor: Vomit and Sexual content

charlmc's review

emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

This was one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. A masterpiece of modern writing. I loved every word. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, and Alcoholism

kaispellmeier's review

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Death

Moderate: Child abuse