Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

25 reviews

butilikeit's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Child death

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Grief, Death of parent, Dementia, and Sexual assault

Minor: Pregnancy and Suicidal thoughts

kitten_nuisance's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

1.5

I was primarily interested in the historical timeline of this book, so I guess I should have read something nonfiction on the subject instead. I did enjoy parts of this, but it was also a bit circuitous in ways? 

The modern timeline was not enjoyable, like a Southern version of a Debbie Macomber book. It’s a feat to bore me with a plot about someone trying to find out secrets that I’m already invested in!

I have to sadly say that both of these were drowned out to me by a chorus of conservative, even racist, dogwhistles. Everything an author includes in a book is a choice. Confederate roses are a choice. A character in modern day using an old, *moved* slave cabin as a workshop is a choice. Saying that your sister is glaring at you and looks like a Chinaman doing laundry is a choice. It appears that a lot of readers are fine with these choices. I will be choosing to be more cautious with my White Woman Fiction reading selections in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Trafficking, and Child abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Child death, Confinement, Dementia, Bullying, and Classism

Minor: Infertility

Adoption/adoption coercion

ladyaligator's review against another edition

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Grief, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Infertility and Dementia

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Rape, Racism, Pedophilia, Addiction, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Police brutality

sarah_amy's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book both had and broke my heart. I cared so much about Rill/May, her siblings and all the other children, and Avery's investigation among it all. I went in completely blind with this book, so was floored to know this is based on real events and that Georgia Tann was the person behind all the horror. I was less interested in the political side of it all and the romance felt a bit forced (not a bad match, just unnecessary). It would have been a 5 star on the investigation and flashbacks to Rill/May's past alone, but the politics/romance almost felt like I was being interrupted by a side story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Torture, and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent, Slavery, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dementia, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Cursing, Rape, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Based on the child trafficking/illegal adoption agency of Georgia Tann. Lots of details of abuse and allusions to death that went on in the foster homes involved. Many of these children were adopted out illegally and without the consent of the birth parents - some were outright stolen like in this story.

jacquibear's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia, Classism, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Kidnapping, Rape, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Pregnancy

wifeslife's review against another edition

dark sad fast-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

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Addiction, Infertility, Sexual violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Torture, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Miscarriage

chelle22's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, Cancer, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Dementia, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Rape, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Violence

hanngigi's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Dementia, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Violence, Confinement, and Trafficking

Moderate: Bullying, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Child death, and Miscarriage

Minor: Cancer and Infertility

sarahflanders's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Confinement, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Child death, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Alcohol

tiana_king's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Grief, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Pedophilia, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Minor: Sexual assault