Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

12 reviews

eranty's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, and Suicide

thedisneyreader's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This one I just read on my Kindle. It was another recommendation from my cousin (at this point, I will read anything she tells me to read!) It was a good story and it had twists coming until the very last line. One thing I didn't like very much is that there were a lot of different POVs for different chapters and it was a little hard to keep track of who everyone was for about the first half of the book really. But by the two-thirds mark, all of the different ongoing sub-plots really came together and the story finished beautifully. Honestly, just thinking about that last line in the book still gets to me! 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse and Suicide

cassiereadsbooks_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Grief, Murder, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Cancer, Body shaming, Self harm, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death of parent, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, and Mental illness

mr_cain's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

I only docked .25 of a star because the pacing was so slow in the exposition. I understand she's establishing a whole host of characters and I do appreciate it, but it's a book you have to power through the first part of. 

This book genuinely kept me guessing. I did suspect the real culprit several times, but I waffled often. Hawkins does a great job supplying motive and details for each of the suspects without it feeling like a painfully deliberate red herring. 

Hawkins also makes the characters each their own and her style is distinct for each chapter in a different POV (i.e. Helen, Jules, + Sean's chapters all feel genuine vs. the same style with different names as many POV switching books seem to do). She provides a cast of characters who are complex and feel so real. Not every character is deeply complicated but they all have their own established psyches which I loved. 

I can easily call myself a Paula Hawkins fan after this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Bullying, Body shaming, Infidelity, Rape, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Blood

Minor: Vomit, Eating disorder, and Chronic illness

paronomaniac's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious relaxing tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide, and Rape

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Infidelity, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Fatphobia

exrthalex's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

This book closely followed several seemingly intertwined unfortunate “drownings.” Throughout the most recent tragedies, the characters are forced to confront past trauma and mistakes, so they can understand, learn, and heal. I expected the plot to have a closer connection to witchcraft/the previous “witches” drowned, but it instead felt like a side note. I enjoyed the plot overall, but would have loved if this element was explored more. While the use of multiple character perspectives can be confusing at times, it ultimately complements the story by providing an omniscient POV. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Grief, Murder, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, and Suicide

caedycon's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I zoomed through this book in two days. Each narrator was amazing at capturing their character's emotions; the writing was great, and while it was a "murder mystery", it was much more about the characters and their inner worlds/conflicts, and relationships with each other. And the mystery just added to that. I was gripped until the end! Not a happy book, but not without hope. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Rape, Child death, Murder, Suicide, and Child abuse

mabelstulips's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, and Death of parent

funofme's review

dark medium-paced

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

3.25

i am so unsatisfied with this whole book. it was just low after low after low with a few holes in there

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Fatphobia

Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

lulu2312's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

It was a really easy book to read. I read it in two days and enjoyed it. But there are things in there that I didn't like, like pedophilia which isn't really condemned and the plot was pretty predictable except for the last sentence where I was like, okay, I didn't really see it coming. But overall it was good!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Death, Violence, Suicide, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Pedophilia

Minor: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Death, and Infidelity