Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

18 reviews

k_galloway's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Racism, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Trafficking, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Bullying, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Grief, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Violence and War

Minor: Pregnancy

very graphic child sexual abuse scene

abbimarie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, and Child abuse

Minor: War, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Alcoholism, and Abandonment

jsm's review

adventurous hopeful informative mysterious fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Rape

morganperks's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

4.0

good soup (partially set on an island 😏)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Classism

eternalparadox's review

adventurous emotional reflective 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Child abuse

Moderate: Addiction

kweaver_pdx's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Addiction

faithfullymoonstruck's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Child abuse

sarah984's review

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I don't really know what to think about this book. The true story of the orphan trains is interesting, tragic and important, but the author made every possible wrong decision.

The characters are all flat stereotypes (drunk Irishman, bitter Native American foster child, kind teacher with no characteristics) and the story follows very predictable beats. The constant use of "Indian" in the modern sections is mind-boggling. The story is written like a middle-grade book to teach kids about the orphan trains, but contains a graphic rape scene.

This is an important story to tell, but there must be better books about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Addiction