Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

فعلا خوبم by Gary D. Schmidt

7 reviews

chaoticbeing's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

I was told by the author that I have read the book more than him. Extremely gripping. You forget that you’re reading a piece of fiction and not the main character’s personal journal. Great entry point for people looking to read historical/realistic fiction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Bullying, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Ableism, Sexism, and Animal death

Goes into detail about the trauma Doug’s oldest brother got from Vietnam. There’s a graphic scene that could be seen as a parallel for family sexual assault where Doug’s father takes him to an unknown location while drunk and forces him to get a tattoo.

madzie's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Schmidt crafts a beautiful coming-of-age story about the power of art and community. At the heart of the story, Schmidt writes essential themes for young adults and adults alike about the origin of pain and how it drives our interactions. Every moment of the book feels perfectly real, including the lively and loveable characters. The quick-paced writing style works very well in its favor, reading like a middle schooler's thoughts and allowing the story to flow naturally. Schmidt deeply touches his audience, at times even making me cry (a hard feat for a writer). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Bullying, and Cancer

Moderate: Alcohol, War, Alcoholism, Ableism, and Physical abuse

Minor: Medical content

sab_reads14's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Child abuse

Moderate: Cancer, Physical abuse, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying and Medical content

sab_reads14's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

Moderate: War, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, and Cancer

Minor: Medical content and Violence

ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

Minor: Racial slurs and Medical content

morganperks's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Bullying, Violence, and Terminal illness

kathytwitch's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.0

Having not read any other books by this author, I didn't know what to expect. In fact, I wasn't sure I was going to like the story when it started, as it deals pretty heavily with  number of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES.) Yet it also deals with Resilience. Our main character shows steady development towards cultivating the good relationships in his life to help him counter the harsh ones he must endure.

I might have found the young teen's repeated complaining refrains annoying, even when justified. However, I listened to this book on audio and the narrator slipped these in smoothly and naturally, making it an entirely believeable narrative technique. Overall I found this story hopeful,  and my favorite characters were the elderly librarian and the elderly horseshoe player.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Bullying, Terminal illness, and Violence

There's child abuse in this book, both suggested and described, and implied domestic violence. There's bullying and school fights. There's haunting references to the Vietnam War and atrocities committed there. There's also disturbing descriptions of the hostility with which returning America soldiers were greeted upon completion of their tours. There's a main character with a devastating diagnosis and a one in four chance to live (it is implied that she does live.) I am not sure the ages for which this novel is intended, but I wouldn't recommend before age 13.