Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

House of Cotton by Monica Brashears

34 reviews

kylehepp4267's review

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Best book I’ve read so far this year. It has that Isabel Allende-esque surrealism turned Southern Gothic, with a main character who contains multitudes and brings you into her world so completely she makes you believe her ghosts are real. This book was the continual heart break of a life in poverty but the struggle was not the story, it was the background that informed Magnolia and her choices, or a secondary character, there waiting in the wings to pounce. 

Anyway, phenomenal writing. One of those books that blows my mind because I can’t believe something this creative and beautiful lived inside somebody’s head! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault

llams's review

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? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, Blood, Sexual content, Racism, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Abortion, Death, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, Body horror, Child abuse, and Classism

Minor: Rape and Dementia

randareads's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Drug abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Child abuse, Drug use, Death, and Death of parent

funguyreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book has a slowly unfolding creepiness that is incredibly engaging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Abortion

Moderate: Sexual assault and Child abuse

kmoore98's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.5

I liked it and I was confused. That could be my fault. I thought the writing style was great I just wanted more from some of the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Racism

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Drug use

easefcik's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

The writing was beautiful and vulnerable. The lived experience of the main character was painful and honest. I kept me reading compulsively, but I can’t say I really enjoyed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Body horror, Vomit, Addiction, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Drug abuse

elle_e_d_light's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

It was a wonderfully written Southern Gothic, although I didn't actually like it very much. Everyone in this book is several layers of messed up. Everyone hurts each other—and gets hurt in return—because of their issues. It's a novel exploring black womanhood in regards to poverty, sexuality, and racism with a whole lot of macabre moments thrown in. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Body horror, Drug use, and Gore

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

holleysings's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Classism, Sexual content, Abortion, Abandonment, Self harm, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Child death, Death, Sexual violence, and Drug abuse

corriejn's review against another edition

3.0

I guess this book is for some people, but not for me. I didn't mind the darker stuff, but found the story to be fairly slow-moving, many of the characters pretty flat and undeveloped, and the ending unsatisfying.

One thing I did not expect from the book synopsis is the amount of graphic sexual content, so just a heads up if that's not something you're looking for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Alcoholism, Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Vomit, and Body horror

Minor: Animal death, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

rwinchesterm's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, Death, and Abortion

Moderate: Drug abuse and Child abuse