Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Stealing by Margaret Verble

7 reviews

gwenswoons's review

challenging dark informative 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

burnourhistory's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Terminal illness, Murder, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Blood, Animal death, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

katrinky's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense

3.5

the most telling thing about this book for me was the acknowledgements section,where verble said she wrote this book in 2006-2007 but held onto it for years because non-native readers and editors didn't know what Indian residential schools were and couldn't fathom the depth of their depravity; that what happened to kit at one was too much of a break from verble's otherwise crystal clear, realistic writing style. so the publication of this book was really only made possible by the horror of discovery by white folks in the last 5-10 years that she had not actually been exaggerating in the slightest.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Racism, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Gun violence, and Grief

cassidy_rain's review

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this. It was a bit slow for me (I generally go for something faster paced and with more suspense or mystery so that could be my own issue!). It’s really devastating hearing everything that Kit goes through, at such a young age. The story is told through the eyes of the main character who is a child. She’s an unreliable narrator and some chapters can feel a bit confusing/the story jumps around. Of course this makes sense because a child is telling the story, which I found to be both frustrating and also insightful to see how she experiences the world and the events happening around her. From the description I was expecting to focus more on her time at the school, which didn’t seem to be the case. Check triggers!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Murder

lcg527's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Terminal illness

readingtomydogs's review against another edition

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I really loved the perspective, told by a 9 year old girl. It was so insightful and raw, your heart just broke for Kit. But I loved her grit and resolve, passed down by her grandmother, mother, and aunts and uncles.  It showed the horrors of residential schools for Native children and how religion can be a tool for evil. I liked that the ending was open-ended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Rape, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Racism, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Alcoholism, Grief, Animal death, and Colonisation

annabulkowski's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Homophobia, Medical content, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Sexual harassment, and Terminal illness