Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

41 reviews

hedwig2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

lucyyybee's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Child abuse, and Medical trauma

oabird's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

I loved this book, more than I was expecting. I found the setting very interesting, knowing little about Irish history. The strong religious influence on the community was something that I found quite challenging and thought provoking and I often found myself relating to the frustrations of Lib, the main character. The book makes what is a fairly monotonous plot device very compelling and by the end of the book I couldn't put it down. Some wonderful language and themes about community, prejudice, religion, motherhood. Would really recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Eating disorder, and Child death

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: War and Medical content

c_mariewrites's review

challenging dark sad tense slow-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

4.25

If there is one thing Emma Donoghue does well, it is absolutely rip your heart out in the last 100 pages. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Sexual assault, and Eating disorder

icieri's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Death, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Rape

renegadegrocerycart's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A remarkable story about the conflicts of faith and devotion. Even knowing the end—having watched the 2022 film adaptation—it was still very tense. Emma Donoghue’s prose is well-suited to the fact-based, concise tone of the nurse main character, and details are used sparingly but to devastating effect. 

Historically-speaking, this book has a lot to say about the relationship between the English and the Irish and the long-lasting effects of the Irish Potato Famine. It’s a fascinating read for that as much as the central plot. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Incest, Medical trauma, and Medical content

The child at the center of this story was sexually abused by her older brother. The abuse is not described in detail, but is mentioned towards the end of the book.

amberinbookland's review

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Rape, Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Child death, Child abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Pregnancy, Vomit, Blood, and Excrement

kaattie's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

alisonkolonick's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual assault

zoecjohnson's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Child death, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Rape, Vomit, Sexual assault, and Slavery