Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Stealing by Margaret Verble

11 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

kteq's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

4.25

I could’ve read decades more journal entries by Kit and it would still feel like not enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Minor: Death of parent and Murder

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

autumn_alwaysreadingseason's review

dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

Heartbreaking.

I thought I was prepared for how devastating this was going to get after reading about residential schools in Richard Wagamese's Indian Horse, but Verble wrote details that were extremely difficult to read. She perfectly captured the innocence of childhood and broke down how it can be lost. The series of events that occur was so maddening and when you think about how this is based on real events, it adds fuel to the rage. 

After her mother dies, Kit spends her days fishing to put food on the table for herself and her father. One day, she notices that a woman, Bella, has moved into her Uncle's old shack and she becomes curious about her. Two different cars visit Bella frequently and Kit wants to know what's going on there. She aims to befriend Bella and succeeds. But her friendship will be the catalyst for everything that follows, ultimately sending Kit to a Christian boarding "school." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Child abuse

Moderate: Murder

readingvoyage's review against another edition

dark sad medium-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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia

Minor: Murder

lizzyjacka's review

emotional

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault

Minor: Physical abuse and Murder

sarahweyand's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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? No

3.5

The synopsis describes this as a "gut-punch" of a novel and I think that's better wording than whatever I was going to come up with. I do think the blurb was slightly misleading; this book focused a lot more on Kit's pre-boarding school days than I had anticipated, which was a little disappointing to me. Now, I don't know that I really want to spend more time reading about Kit's school experiences, since those were the most nauseating chapters, but I do think those sections could have been better developed.

I really enjoyed the writing style and perspective that Verble chose. Reading (or listening, in my case) to this story in the first-person perspective of a young kid provides special insight into how Kit sees the world, what she doesn't understand, and how hard it can be to communicate how you feel as a child.

While the ending and convergence of timelines felt a little rushed and I fear this book won't stand out among others that I read this year, I do think this was an interesting title worth taking a look at, if you feel you can stomach the content.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Racism and Murder

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