Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

17 reviews

hedsek's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

Absolutely love the worldbuilding and the lore and most things about the story. The ways in which relationships between characters and dialogue are written is not great tbh, but the story more than makes up for it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Kidnapping

Minor: Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Gun violence

sophie_theresia_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark funny inspiring mysterious tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Violence, and Blood

cemeterygay's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

It's a pretty good middle grade fantasy book. The world is incredibly rich and it's cool to explore it. There is a ton of implicit anti-native sentiment in this book, including a slur for the Inuit, some of which I know is challenged in later books but there is a lot more that is just not challenged. 

I think the initial pacing is a little bit too slow but quickly improves. There also is a surprising amount of gore in this book specifically related to animals that I did not expect. 

While not mind blowing, I think this book is a great set up for future books and handles discussion about religion well and in a way that is definitely understandable to its target audience while not being condescending in how its explained. It's definitely a good challenging fantasy book for a middle grade audience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

CW: Absent parents

beccaruthe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Death

Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Violence

fiveredhens's review

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

this book: the aurora gave humans

the knowledge of good and evil via elementary particles

, adults who seem nice can be horrifically abusive, scandinavian witch communism, girls can be excitable and headstrong and even a little annoying while still being intelligent and worthy of love
10-yr-old me: wow cool ferret

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Racism, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Ableism, Dementia, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Vomit

orientalism, africa as a wild monolith, romani stereotypes

fruya's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Sexism, Gun violence, and Ableism

Minor: Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Animal cruelty

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Review to come.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia