Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Geisterwand by Sarah Moss

176 reviews

ixris's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Short. Finished in one day, but the dialogue is not set off my punctuation and all runs in the same paragraph as narrative text so it is important to pay attention to how the sentences are structured. 

A 17 year old girl and her parents attend an experimental anthropology course for the summer. Things happen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Lesbophobia

Minor: Vomit

The domestic abuse and misogyny is a major plot theme in the book. The death and dismemberment of animals for the encampments food is a clear symbol for the way the men perceive the women at the height of the plot.

lexirh's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse

allisonmeyette's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

I think this is a book I will have to read again and again. Stunning writing, and over too quickly. The pace of the book is very slow up until the last 15-20 pages. It's one of those books where if you read it too quickly and don't digest it as you go, you don't get everything out of it (which is what I'm afraid I did). It's also quite creepy while really immersing you in the world that the Professor is trying to create. Please see content warnings too, as there are a LOT of possibly triggering themes in the book and may not be for everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Vomit, War, and Classism

loanereel's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

greenwillow77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Sarah Moss is particularly concerned with how the echoes of the past are heard in the now, & this book is an excellent illustration of how she goes about making that into a compelling story. Creating a creeping sense of unease & ratcheting tension that wouldn’t be out of place in an Ari Aster film, the story of Sil & the experimental archeology project rattles along at a brisk lick, simmering in the summer heat & Sil’s father’s temper. 

There is plenty to unpack in this book- class, education, gender roles, family, teenage anxiety, the power structures of abuse- & it crams in to a story told in under 150 pages. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed this book, but it did compel me to finish & it will stay with me for a while yet.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, and Classism

jamarie's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Animal death

readersreadingnook's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Blood

leneliest's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

ibaladez's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

2.5

While advertised as an LGBTQ book that topic has little to do with the actual story, more a coming of age story

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

lostacanthus's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Picked this up randomly at the library because it was short and I liked the cover.

The writing style threw me off and I almost DNF’d it a few pages in. It’s so hard to tell who’s talking or if it’s Sylvie’s inner thoughts. But I’m glad I kept with it. I liked this more than I thought I would. The tension that’s built up with Sylvie’s father was excellent; he truly felt terrifying and I felt such sympathy for Sylvie and her mother. The characterization was really well done for something so short.

The ending was a little abrupt and ambiguous. Sylvie is safe for now but how long will that last? :\ I was kind of hoping that something more violent and permanent would have happened to her father at the end, lol. Would have felt more satisfying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse