Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

2 reviews

willow_the_wisp's review against another edition

dark mysterious relaxing slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Car accident, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

shieldbearer's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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

2.0

The ending literally ruined this book in the worst way possible. I'm giving it two stars because the writer is excellent with pacing, and does an excellent job laying groundwork that pays off later in a way that isn't too conspicuous. Unfortunately, the ending makes it clear that most things I really liked about this book are not intentional on the author's part. Literally just end the book when he leaves to drive into town for the last time and your experience will be a million times better. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Cursing, War, Gun violence, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Child death, and Car accident

Moderate: Infidelity, Bullying, Animal death, Confinement, Classism, Child abuse, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion

Cooper should not be parenting Finch. He is very mentally unwell and the fact that the way it ends is framed as a "happy" ending is very disappointing. I spent the entire book thinking the author had done a wonderful job writing Cooper as an unreliable narrator, his opinions and perceptions tainted by both his biases and his trauma. But no, he's 100% correct about everything and the fact that his daughter has to care for him when he has a panic attack is completely fine. The fact that Finch's grandparents think she's dead at the end is 100% acceptable even though the Big Moral Debate is doing that to another set of parents. Cooper needs help and while I was rooting for them, and I really wanted Finch to stay in the woods- she needs a stable parental figure in her life and that is not Cooper.