Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

16 reviews

mandareads222's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Confinement, and Body shaming

Moderate: Grief, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Violence

Minor: Death, Murder, Animal death, Child death, and Physical abuse

dazedl's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

The ending was quite underwhelming. I had expected more and left feeling rather disappointed. But it was still a good read, just not as good as The Giver.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

saraellenme's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Ableism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Kidnapping

cassie7e's review against another edition

mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A beatifully crafted YA book, with so much worldbuilding without being told, culture and politics and relationships we learn by seeing them, and seeing them begin to be challenged in the mind of our main character. And the visual imagery of gathering blue, along with the threads and dyeing process, still captivate my artist brain.

It's been ages since I read this as a kid; either I do not remember or I did not register when I was young just how dark a world the characters live in. Actions that on the surface are single unpleasant moments paint a deeper, oppressive undercurrent that my adult self could pick up on and interpret long before the book and character explain.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Child death, Confinement, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Minor: Blood and Fire/Fire injury

nortsapa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

kira my beloved 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, and Cannibalism

chrysanthxmum's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Death, Confinement, Child abuse, Murder, Child death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Slavery and Sexism

meg_elyse's review

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, and Confinement

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Murder

wizardmotel's review

dark mysterious sad

they sure did gather that blue

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Body shaming, Kidnapping, and Ableism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Murder, Child abuse, and Death of parent

bonluvdon's review

mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

After reading The Giver so many times growing up, throughout this book I was like "I thought this was a series. How are these stories related?" This book doesn't answer that question! (Though it is still an amazing story.) The connection between the two worlds is made in the next book: The Messenger.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Blood, Confinement, Child abuse, and Child death

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? No

4.0

I think the plot is not as exciting as in The Giver, but I really liked this one as well. 
I knew that it's only a companion novel and there wouldn't be any characters from The Giver here, so I wasn't expecting anything. The writing style is still the same and I really enjoy it. I loved the atmosphere, not necessary of the society but the main characters' talents and tasks, everything that had to do with colors and plants. Anabella's hut. It had cozy witchy vibes. I also liked the characters, especially Kira. 
And the more I think about the plot and the themes, the more I appreciate everything. In such a short book with hardly any plot, Lowry managed to implement topics around community and contribution, disabled community members, the value of art and artists in a community, exploitation of community members, oppressing people in a community and so many more. 
One thing I love to discover is when artists use different stories to explore similar themes/ideas in different ways. History and community, for example, play a big role in both The Giver and Gathering Blue. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, and Grief