Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

39 reviews

pho_ar's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

To be fair, Gaiman is one of my favorite authors so I expected to like it, but what I didn't expect was to be sitting on my couch near tears and being confused as to why and maybe that just makes sense for this book.

But I guess with this review, I will attempt to explain myself.  

The best way I can describe this book is cozy, dark, fantasy that borders on thriller, perhaps some horror elements. I found this intriguing and perhaps why I like this book. It was like you were terrified, but you were with friends and had a comfy blanket for protection(because nothing can get you if you are under a protective blanket).

The whole story feels like this dream that plays on what is reality and what isn't, and it's told through the lense of someone remembering their childhood, which makes this very interesting and in some ways easier, like less worrisome, considering what happens because you know the main character is fine.

I guess what got me was the Hempstocks. The fact that there were literal monsters outside, but they kept the main character safe. They always did, even if it meant they got hurt. And that was beautiful and gut-wrenching, I guess, in the way that it ends, but they continue to be his safe place. 

So this was oddly comforting in a way that stirred tears. Maybe it just felt nice to be protected from the dark. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Child abuse

jolineliest's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious fast-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicide, Body horror, Death, and Infidelity

Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, and Grief

akirma's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Violence, Death, Torture, Suicide, and Child death

Minor: Car accident

annadirknowitzki's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

A short and bittersweet little comforting monster of a book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence

tabookish's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• 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: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Confinement, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Child death, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Abandonment, Infidelity, and Grief

riverofhorton's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

So I went into this book thinking it was a kid's book and would be a fun frolic in a fantasy world. A kid's book it most definitely is not, despite the main character being 7 through the main part of the story. Once I realised and came to terms with my own assumptions being wrong, I found the book to be really enjoyable.

It tackles a few quite mature themes through the wonder of a child's perspective, which is something I don't think I've seen before. It takes place pretty much in our world but with a bit of magic thrown in, some being things that are still magic to us as children, giving the impression that there is magic to be found in the real world, if you look through that child-like lens.

I did also appreciate some of the little call backs to things that previously seemed unimportant.

I also liked that it ends in such a way as to facilitate re-reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, Suicide, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Violence, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Animal death, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Physical abuse

chronicacademia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Grief, and Animal death

Moderate: Physical abuse, Car accident, Death, Gaslighting, and Infidelity

Minor: Blood and Bullying

nicolinebl's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-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

4.0

I don't know what to say other than I adore Neil Gaiman and his writing, and this was yet another fantastic novel by him. The beautiful illustrations from Elise Hurst made it even better, and are very fitting to the story. An element of spookiness, but not too spooky.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Child abuse, Body horror, and Child death

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Infidelity and Gaslighting

bookish_slagathor's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

reads2cope's review against another edition

2.5

Loved the concepts explored, but the story itself and the characters fell flat. There were some beautiful lines, and the horror scene near the beginning really made me gag, but most the book left me feeling meh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Gore, Bullying, Animal death, Child abuse, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Infidelity

Minor: Death of parent