Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

8 reviews

edamamebean's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective 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? N/A

4.0

I feel like it’s important to say from the outset that this is not a murder mystery. It’s a meditation on racism, the justice system, and the constant, almost casual violence that is inflicted upon women. It asked a lot of really important questions and definitely got me thinking. Bodie’s own internal struggle reminded me of a time in my own life when I had to reexamine my high school memories after my favorite teacher was outed as a predator. Something I especially liked about this book was its ability to make clear that what happened to Thalia is not exceptional. In fact, it happens all the time. Worth the read. Although it is very heavy, the subject is handled with care and nuance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Classism, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Alcohol, Body shaming, Murder, Confinement, Death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Rape

Minor: Antisemitism, Colonisation, and Homophobia

hanhantap's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Self harm, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, and Rape

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Infidelity

ecn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Death, Classism, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Rape, Physical abuse, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Racism, Mental illness, Infidelity, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Pedophilia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Body shaming

alisonvh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

5.0

This book is so good! It’s a great murder mystery, but it’s also so much more than that. It faces head-on the issue of girls and women hurt and murdered by men and how hard it is for them to get the protection they need when they’re alive or the justice they deserve when they’re dead.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, Chronic illness, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, and Physical abuse

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Car accident

kimveach's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective fast-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

4.5

This book grabbed my attention from the start and held it through to the end.  I loved the story of a podcaster looking into her own school history of a murder of a classmate.  With her students attempting a podcast similar to Serial, she examines not only the original murder but also society as a whole in this Me Too age.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Classism, Death, Infidelity, Medical content, Self harm, Drug use, Eating disorder, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Violence, Cancer, and Domestic abuse

mdemanatee's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Like the Great Believers, there are ghosts here, but they linger in new ways. This is slower paced novel that weaves in and out of time and asks more questions than it answers, even if it leaves us with more resolution than I anticipated.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual harassment, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Alcohol, and Blood

painausten314's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Eating disorder