Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

43 reviews

elysianbud's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

The entire second half of the book was just the author ripping my heart out of my chest while I sobbed violently. I've literally just finished it and I think I have a headache from dehydration...

Great characters and good plot. Love to see assholes get their due. Author sets atmosphere brilliantly. 

(Also the cover for this is gorgeous!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Murder, Outing, Child death, Suicide attempt, Racism, Slavery, Child abuse, Car accident, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, Racial slurs, Self harm, Blood, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Bullying, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Suicide

lyricluciferin's review against another edition

3.5

I'm typically pretty picky about first person writing but this was fine. The story was decent, but the pacing was really messy that took me out of it some.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Rape

nemeiadarkwalker's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Mass/school shootings, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Child death, Bullying, Blood, Emotional abuse, Death, and Addiction

Minor: Gore, Classism, Cursing, Gaslighting, and Homophobia

lennybiird's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Child abuse, Mass/school shootings, Adult/minor relationship, and Child death

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

Minor: Religious bigotry

d0505's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, and Mental illness

Minor: Racism, Homophobia, and Car accident

allisonsmith120's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Racism, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Animal cruelty, Murder, Self harm, Blood, Child death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Racial slurs, Car accident, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Vomit, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

saurahsaurus's review

adventurous dark emotional 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

I really enjoyed this book, but didn’t expect it to be so violent. I loved its lore and strangeness, the themes of identity and being othered. And I just want to protect main character 🥹💜

I understand the role that the violence played in the book, and it fit. Just wasn’t prepared for it going in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Child death, Racism, Death, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Outing, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Car accident, Cursing, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Transphobia

Minor: Animal death, Abandonment, Infidelity, and Police brutality

ehmannky's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-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? Yes

3.0

 I think that if this book had been like 60 or 70 pages longer, it would be one of the best YA horror books I've read. The ghost stuff is genuinely chilling, and Douglass has a talent for writing some very creepy scenes with great social commentary. I felt like I needed more of Jake with the two friends he gets over the course of the book. It felt like Douglass just speed-ran them into being best friends (I think if maybe the book started off with them all being friends I would have bought it more). Again, the paranormal stuff is excellent, it's just the connection between the main and supporting characters that felt a bit lacking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child death, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Toxic friendship and Abandonment

wrensreadingroom's review

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Bullying, Incest, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Cursing, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism, Medical content, Car accident, and Child death

jiji_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I have to start with the content warnings because they feature so heavily: school shooting and death, child sexual abuse, self hatred, homophobia and racism. If you can take these themes on, then this is a decent read. It's a true YA, borderline middle reader with mature themes. There are definitely some truly horror-esque moments, but you'll need some suspension of disbelief for the kind of fantasy elements. While these topics are difficult to read and stomach, they're still so important. I wouldn't recommend this to middle grade or teens without some real debriefing with a parent or teacher. As an adult, give it a go for some genuine moments of creepiness and story telling! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Incest, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Child death, and Child abuse