Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Lightness by Emily Temple

13 reviews

cait_henry56's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.75

This book is like the feminine Fight Club, which I mean as both a compliment and an insult. It reminds me of a line from Lucy Corin that paraphrased claimed that men explode outward to kill others while women explode inward, killing themselves. The book is full of angst, transporting the reader back to being 15 and hating everything about yourself and the world around you. This was so close to a five star read for me, but the book meandered for too long between time jumps and slathering page after page with vague foreshadowing. It also doesn't have much warmth or hearth, but them again, what tale of feminine rage does?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Bullying, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

Minor: Death of parent

Multiple adult/minor relationships.

below_average_baker's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Domestic abuse, Death, Alcohol, Suicide, Sexual violence, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Fatphobia

archiveofrasa's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

I really like this sort of vignette-style writing, though I'm not sure why. I've chosen this style for one of my own works so I guess it really appeals to me lol

the writing was really nice, someone described it as an elegant tragedy which I fully agree on. I don't think it was necessarily purple prose because everything had a reason to be in the story, even if I personally couldn't understand them. the way the narrator, Olivia, spoke about things and weaves her own beliefs and discoveries into their own little vignette said a lot about her as a character. however, I feel like there was a barrier preventing me from truly connecting with her, but considering the way she was written, I feel like that was maybe intentional.

her relationship with Serena really drew me in. once she was properly introduced was when I started properly reading, even though I will say that I didn't like her much (she sure was interesting. Temple tells and follows it up with a lot of shows which I really appreciate). Janet and Laurel were also really interesting and I wish we got to know a little more about them, but again I think the distance was the point.

I don't know how to feel about the vignettes about her parents; I loved them and how they were fed into the narrative but I also didn't enjoy them. they made me feel quite heavy, but considering her parents are literally divorced and arguably abusive, yeah. a lot of people also said this sort of queerbaited a bit and I do see the bisexual undertones of Olivia (hey hi I'm bi) but to me, it came off as that uncertainty girls have in relation to other girls when they're fully acknowledging the possibility of being attracted to them (while not necessarily sure that they are) if that makes any fucking sense lmao

I did in fact change the rating, I like this more now that I've sat on it. still will reread this when I'm older.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Panic attacks/disorders

a bit of fatphobia unsanitary acts

AKA putting period blood into the "hot" gardener's lunch so he would give you what you want. gross but not the worst thing I've read, unfortunately.

mxpringle's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Grief, Body shaming, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Suicide attempt

keatynbergsten's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, and Adult/minor relationship

whatellisreadnext's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Death, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

1.75

I don’t really know how I felt about this one. I thought it started so strong and I was intrigued from the beginning. I liked how Temple broke the 4th wall and addressed the readers, although sometimes it felt a bit too much. The premise is interesting. A girl with both mommy and daddy issues goes to a summer meditation retreat for young women at the same meditation center where her father was last seen. She falls in with a mysterious clique of girls seeking enlightenment and the ability to levitate. Despite that intriguing premise though, the book didn’t land with me. I thought the protagonist’s motives were unclear. Her quest to find her father gets lost in the story, and it’s resolution feels like an afterthought. Also, the girls obsession with, why I consider to be a basic bro in a pony tail, was infuriating. There were hints at queerness between the girls that were never fully explored, which I found irritating. Overall, it felt a bit heavy handed and unsatisfying. BUT I’ve read some wonderful reviews about this book, so if you’re interested I encourage you to give it a try. Also, if you have read it I would love to hear your thoughts. Maybe I just missed something while reading it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, and Eating disorder

stevie's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Violence

charla_t's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

perfect for people in a Donna Tartt- induced reading slump who also wish Tartt wrote more books with female protagonists 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Child abuse

mostlymusings's review against another edition

dark tense

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Addiction and Panic attacks/disorders