Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

156 reviews

adrienneleigh's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

 This second-chance romance was sexy and fun and had substance. Eva and Shane had great chemistry, and there were some very steamy scenes. Williams has a great sense of humor that comes through in many scenes. Eva’s precocious 12-year-old daughter Audre and Eva’s best friend Cece both sparkled. I loved the fun scenes set in NYC’s Black literary world of author panels, parties, and awards shows. But the book has a darker side as well, and addresses a lot of serious themes, including chronic illness, mental illness, self-harm, drugs, addiction, trauma, generational trauma, and poverty. I didn’t love how the ending was structured, but overall I really enjoyed this book. 
 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

libellumartinae's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing tense medium-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

4.5

alright, I'd like to say that this book is utterly fantastic.

I had been eager to start it and read it as it seemed quite an interesting and lovable readout it is much more, as it depicts many tough elements without being too heavy and although the relationships between the characters is tense and definitely darker at times as it held so many secrets and individual - and shared - trauma, it never seems like a tale of desperation. it's an hopeful outright out of life and starting again. probably one fo the best second chances romance - and romance - of the year and that I have ever read, also because there was the employment of the 'I am not enough' theme but in a way that wasn't stereotypical and neither annoying.

the sole thing I'd have liked to be done better is the ending as in some parts it felt too rushed. I also admit that it is a personal preference but I learned I much prefer finals in which they don't end up halfway through but with an epilogue. still, at parts, it seemed too fast to me and I'd like for it to be longer (if anything to stay with them a bit longer).

love yah!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jkreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful 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

5⭐️

TW: alcoholism, drug use, self harm, child neglect, paedophilia

Just…wow. This book was beautiful. A searing tale of Black love, pain and success told in beautiful prose brimming with emotion. 

Seven Days in June is easily the best second-chance romance I’ve ever read. All of the angst and pain experienced by Eva and Shane had a purpose, none of it was gratuitous or over the top. The journey they went on throughout the book was SO satisfying, and it really felt like I was right there with them, I was so invested.

I’m always nervous going into a book with disability/illness rep because it’s never guaranteed to be done well. That was not the case here. I really loved how descriptive Tia Williams was in talking about Eva’s chronic pain and the impact that this had on every aspect of her life. I also loved that there wasn’t an underlying message of ‘just push through’. Sure, there were times where Eva tried to push through the pain but she knew this would come at a price. So many books that I see being hailed as having great disability rep very much promote the toxic message that ‘if you just push through and accommodate yourself, you can do anything’ when that just isn’t the reality for many disabled people. Eva spoke about parenting from bed or the couch, which I can very much relate to as this is something I’ve had to resort to on days where I’m struggling.

I listened to this on audio and the narration was wonderful, it really helped me connect with the story on a deeper level. I will probably be purchasing a physical copy of this as well though, because it’s definitely going to be one that I reread in the future.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rickireadss's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

i went into this one with such high hopes, and i honestly think that was what ruined it for me. i loved the chronic migraines rep. i somewhat tolerated the fact that both mcs were writers - i feel like this is hit or miss with me, but usually a miss. i did not check the CW before reading, and that was definitely my bad, but most of the reviews i had seen on tiktok or insta hadn't mentioned it being a "heavy" book -- this one most defintitely was, and it was much heavier than i could have anticipated. i ended up soft-DNFing this like 50% in and left in untouched for almost a month, but i pushed through hoping it would magically get better (spoiler alert: it did not) this was just not my favorite, and one of my disappointments of the year.

⚠️: self harm, drug abuse, alcoholism, drug use, addiction, chronic illness, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, suicidal attempt, abandonment, gun violence, death, grief, injury/injury detail, child abuse, child death, violence, sexual assault, toxic relationship, blood, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, racism, medical content, car accident, medical trauma, death of parent, domestic abuse, physical abuse, bullying, panic attacks/disorders, murder, forced institutionalization, pedophilia, vomit, ableism, sexism, adult/minor relationship

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nicole_defran's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

2.0

I’m not sure where to start. I feel a little overwhelmed honestly. I feel like I thought it was a romcom based on the blurb and quotes on the cover but after finishing it there was romance but it definitely isn’t a romcom. I probably should have read the content warnings but I never have before and while romance can include some more serious topics not to this level. I think it will stick with me for sure. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

literarychronicles's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced

4.0

Let me start by saying that I loved this book. I finished this book & thought that it was 5 stars & I will force all my friends to read it. However, after critically evaluating, I realised this is not 5 stars, but I still absolutely love it & I am going to force my friends to read it. 

It's been a while since I read this book. I will never review this if I wait to write a proper review. Hence, here are my random thoughts. 

👍🏻Disability - How it is always not visible. I thought this part was very well written.

👍🏻Humour

👍🏻Strong MC

👍🏻Self-harm and mental health issues were well portrayed

👍🏻Chemistry between the 2 MCs

👍🏻Flawed Individuals with baggage, overcoming childhood trauma, (although not completely healed) succeeding in life, & helping others

👍🏻Theme - How everyone deserves love and  redemption

👍🏻Black spirit and representation

👉🏼 I don't enjoy spice in romance, but I didn’t mind this because I enjoyed the story

👉🏼 The week the MCs spent as teenagers doesn't feel like love. It was messy, dangerous, & toxic.

👎🏼Too many pop culture references 

👎🏼The 12 years old daughter seemed too mature and was unrealistic. 

👎🏼The conflict near the end felt clichéd. It could have been avoided with a text messeage.

👎🏼The ending seemed a bit flat compared to the build-up

👎🏼The epilogue could have been a part of the main text.

 TW: Drug/alcohol abuse, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, child abuse, neglect 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

chinelo_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-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

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

beezinda's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

5.0

This is a gorgeous contemporary romance novel. This is a Love Story. 

I love the characters and this story unfold and I really like the exploration of what it means to deserve love. The pacing is perfect, the writing is mature, and the story is romantic and heartwarming. 

The book does have some darker/heavier content like addiction, self-harm, and childhood neglect, but never turns into black trauma - it doesnt revel in these issues. Rather these issues are used to help us understand our characters and who they were in their darkest moments. It's masterfully done, because I check-out immediately at any sign of trauma pork, but at no moment did I want to put this novel down.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lizziaha's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

The most compelling part of this book is Shane’s love for Eva. He’s an addict, and that’s palpable in the book. It’s not a want, but a need. Otherwise, the book wasn’t quite what I expected, and didn’t have the things I look for in a romance. Eva’s relationship with her daughter was not very fleshed out—despite part of Eva’s storyline being her matrilineal line—and their arguments seemed unrealistic, especially on Eva’s side. I also found a few other things unrealistic, including Audrey’s near-expulsion and the timing of Eva’s writing deadline. Also, it felt like this book was attempting to make a political statement without actually committing to it. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nokvi's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

Oh I loved this book so fucking much like wow. What a book, what a week. So the books has sections labeled Sunday to Saturday and ofc I had to read thru the dates in time with the week. What a magical experience 10/10.


One issue I had was that the book would use cultural references so awkwardly that I simply got jolted out of the story yk but other than that

Expand filter menu Content Warnings