Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Snow by John Banville

37 reviews

alison18's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Pedophilia

essblades's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, and Child abuse

velozebra's review

sad medium-paced

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

2.0

Content warning that I didn’t have:

this book contains a horrific scene of the sexual assault of a child told from the offender’s POV about halfway through

. I wish I had known about it. It’s unnecessary for the plot development, it was obvious long before this what had happened and it did NOT need to be there. I do not read past books that contain gratuitous scenes of sexual assault when they are clearly there for prurient reasons and do not advance the story in any way. Like, is this supposed to be edgy? Because it’s most assuredly NOT. It’s exploitive. Also, I can’t stand books where you’re not sure if the MC, a detective, is meant to be an idiot? Because this one surely is. Even if he’s annoying and stuck up, I don’t think he’s meant to be stupid enough to miss obvious clues and

cross boundaries with a waif-like damsel in distress

. The tropes are strong in this novel, and not in a good way. What a waste of my time. It could have been a good book, which is why I read more than half of it. Ruined by a lack of subtlety and imagination. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Violence

atamano's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Classism, Blood, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Suicide, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Grief

Minor: Fatphobia

noodleb's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.75

Not the subject matter I would choose to read about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Unpleasant subject matter. I would not have chosen to read this if I had been aware.

dorsetreader's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Blood, Suicide, Violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Grief, Sexual content, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

primaproulla's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Rape, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Infidelity

mbest75's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Interlude chapter contains details of child abuse from the POV of the abuser.

cstein's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Enjoyable read with interesting insights into Irish history/politics, but too many knowing nods to mystery genre tropes and archetypes, the motive was obvious to the reader long before the detective, and

there was a frustratingly long break between when we learned a character was dead and Strafford got it together to find the body.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Gore, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Alcoholism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Vomit and Child death

barmyjen's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault