Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

35 reviews

gwenswoons's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

So unusual and truly marvelous in the most literal sense. I LOVED You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty, one of my favorites of the last many years, and thought Vivek Oji was amazing too; but this is my first YA of Emezi’s, and I wasn’t sure what it might be like. But it’s gorgeous - their writing always stuns me and leaves me breathless and this is no different. I thought it was truly incredible, in a work that is so accessible for younger readers, to have language so eloquent and perfumed in the way Emezi’s always is, and to be able to approach the heaviest and most devastating topics of humanity with a light enough touch that a younger reader could live inside this story. I’m not someone who loves fantasy  - I don’t read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, and sometimes supernatural elements lose me a little bit - but Emezi’s writing is just so beautiful and so compelling at every turn that I didn’t even give a thought to whether or not I believed what was happening (I just: did). Same, somehow, too, with the allegorical/archetypal elements: these could be so obvious and heavy-handed on another writer’s desk, and yet Emezi’s world building and story crafting are so exquisite that every element of the story - every word, every turn of phrase and plot - feels inevitable. Such a gorgeous read, and I thought the audio was gorgeously narrated, too, by Christopher Myers (something about this book as a dark fairytale/ parable worked really beautifully for me in audio format and I feel like Myers really captured for readers that feeling of listening to a story - so good).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Dysphoria, Grief, and Gore

Minor: Child abuse, Incest, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Transphobia

djbobthegirl's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Child abuse

ari_bryce's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This was such a phenomenal read. There's so much nuance and discussion that could come from this story. I honestly couldn't put it down, I devoured it any chance that I got. I don't want to say too much because I think the messages will have more of an impact going into Pet knowing as little as possible. But I highly recommend Pet for everyone to read at least once.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

vanieflo's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Domestic abuse

summerb's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Murder, Transphobia, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Rape, Vomit, Racism, Violence, Cursing, Hate crime, and Homophobia

julieyael's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was absolutely not what I was expecting (I bought it as a horrir book. Well, it’s about another, more real, kind of horror)
I enjoyed the way it’s written bringing tension to the story. 

I would have liked a deeper character building, but the novel is quite short, so maybe there was not space for it. 

I also felt that the particularities of the characters were a bit forced. It’s interesting and nice to find such a diverse set of characters and families, but sometimes it felt a bit artificial. 

Maybe if it had been written as an adult novel, not YA, it would have been more to my taste. 

Overall, the book finds its purpose and is a good read, and I am sure it will find a good audience and be useful and meaningful to a lot of people. 
It just didn’t « click » for me. 
I am glad I read it once, but it probably wonnt go on my list of novels that I can read twice (or more). 

Also, the subject is pretty heavy and the warnings should be taken seriously. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Rape, and Violence

starsnstitchin's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

What i liked: the normalacy of a poly partnership and queer characters without that being what the story is about. Its as significant as somebody having brown hair. 
What i didn't like: i thought this would be a fantasy story but its more just normal life with metaphorical terminology labels. I also didnt really enjoy the simple everything wrapped up neatly and perfectly ending or the not so subtle christian undertones.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Incest, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Violence

savhardt's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia

Minor: Vomit, Transphobia, Homophobia, and War

There are a few descriptions of the world of the past, these contain the issues of today such as homophobia, racism, etc. The plot majorly follows the main characters trying to find who is harming (vague but implied sexual violence) a supporting characters little brother. This turns out to be done by

a relative

.

some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

That was really well done and the execution was splendid. However, the theme about monsters not looking different fell a little flat since 

the monster got mutilated

  during the finale 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Acephobia/Arophobia, Blood, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Torture, Child abuse, and Gore

velvetreads_'s review

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness