Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

27 reviews

sloanemontesi's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Absolutely tore through this one. Listened voraciously to this audiobook in a matter of 3 days. Big fan of a “prequel-to-a-classic” premise anyway, and Isobel was an extremely easy character to root for. Very well-written and consistently engaging. Took a little bit to hook me, but once it did, i was IN. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Slavery, Abortion, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

cdnpittsburgher's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

3.75

I liked the narrator in the audio version of this book. When narrating as Isobel, she was incredible and truly embodied the character. 

I disliked the men in Isobel's tale as much as I detested the men in the OG Scarlet Letter that was required reading in Gr 11 American Lit. Selfish humans disguised as upstanding citizens certainly is a relatable experience, and women pay the price. 

There was a lot of information about "The Salem Deception" that killed 19 people.  As well, the rudiments of the North American Atlantic slave trade is presented and an introduction to the the Underground Railroad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, and Classism

prairieraven's review

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

lisettemarie's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and Death of parent

kelisabeth's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

daydaybookbay's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I rated this book a 9 out of 10. I really enjoyed the blast to the past, reminding me of The Scarlet Letter and the Salem Witch Trials. Having the history woven into the fictional storyline makes it feel more real. It is clear so much research was put into the writing of this story.

The way Isobel's Synesthesia was written really captured me. This beautiful visual that she learns to embrace privately. With such an experience many people today can not fully understand, it hurts to know Isobel was practically afraid of herself.

My favorite parts to read were the scenes Isobel was sewing, All the details of the dresses and clothing and the descriptions of embroidery in the gloves created the images in my mind. I love it. So much description went into it, but it felt light like music.

While we watch Isobel grow, we see the women supporting women every step of the way. Nell and Mercy take different approaches to help Isobel, but both women warm my heart.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and War

mariewordaddict's review

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? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed most of it, and the passion that developed between the protagonist and her lover did seem convincing. Something about the narration was slightly awkward though I can't put my finger on what. The protagonist might be a little bit of a Mary Sue, I guess because I don't think of sexuality as a flaw, so otherwise she was wholesome, loving, forgiving, all the positive things. Maybe too many. Idk. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Violence

sxndaze's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Once he said, I invented you and you came. Now he's saying the opposite: that I am the conjurer, and he is the conjured.

gorgeous and fascinating. the twist on the scarlett letter’s origin story is interesting to weird and isobel is a great character to read. it drags a at times,but the payoff is good

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

mels_reading_log's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

“It’s not that we are witches or faeries or that we deny God. It is that we are more beautiful and strong together than apart.”  Men are scared of things they don’t understand. During the Witch Trials they hunted and murdered anyone who was different or skilled in a way they were ignorant to, all the while standing behind God as if He would endorse such foolishness. This story is the fictional story of the real Hester Prynne of the Scarlet Letter. I loved the strength, grit and determination of the outcast characters. They saw who they could trust and stuck together. This was such a good book!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this fictionalized version of the writing of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Even without the ties to the classic book, it was a wonderful historical novel set in Salem in the 1600s.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content