Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

250 reviews

alma_n's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape

Moderate: Physical abuse

clemencepct's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

strange's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Violence, Grief, Alcohol

Please, please make sure you are prepared to handle this book before reading it.

marthadude's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence

Moderate: Mental illness, Abandonment

Minor: Fatphobia, Excrement, Grief

Heavy warnings for incest, rape, pedophilia, and racism. Even though the book spoils this in the beginning

Pecola, an 11 year old girl, is raped and impregnated by her own father. The scene is fairly disturbing. It's not overly graphic but it is explicit and hard to read. Pecola is not only beaten by her mother because of this, but the townspeople look down on her despite being the victim. As a trauma response, she is driven to a sort of madness. The baby also doesn't make it.

. There is also a character who is a self confessed pedophile, but there are no explicit scenes between him and children.

katemariea514's review against another edition

3.75

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death

megannewsome's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I have read plenty of books described as "lyrical" which only left me annoyed with wordiness without depth. This novel most certainly delivers on truly stunning poetic prose that still captivates the reader in the story. The lyricism here actually serves to anchor your emotions to the characters. "And then the tears rushed down his cheeks, to make a bouquet under his chin." This line in particular made me pause, set the book down, and slowly imagine the visual described as if it were a painting being created in real time. I could also, at once, feel the memory of tears on my own chin, surprised to be reminiscing on my  childhood heartbreak. And certainly, I had never thought of that accumulation of drops from my face to my chin to be a "bouquet," which goes perfectly in line with the themes of planting seeds, tending to a flower, and perhaps even its premature blossom. There are so many similarly beautiful lines throughout this debut Morrison work, so I can't wait to read more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape

Moderate: Physical abuse

amberinbookland's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol

brennach's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Excrement, Pregnancy

ghostfia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Rape

shoshthemost's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Truly heartbreaking. There never has been a character I so wanted to embrace, as I did Pecola. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence