Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

I Fell in Love with Hope by Lancali

82 reviews

tamtamslibrary's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Before you read the rest of this review, pleasepleaseplease check trigger warnings. This is a VERY heavy book, and I recommend being in the right headspace to read it. I would not recommend reading this if you are struggling with loss or depression—they are avid themes throughout. 

That aside, this is a story of grief, loss, hope, and love. On the prose level, this is written beautifully—especially if you love metaphorical language and imagery. The characters are all unique and individualized, and you will never be the same after C and Neo (and if you are, well, lucky you not falling victim to emotional tragedy). 

You will be confused at times when it comes to the narrator, and I can’t stress this enough—THAT IS THE POINT. Will you like the narrator by the end? Maybe not, but this isn’t just their story. 

I listened to the audio version of this, and the fact that it was read by Lancali makes it that much more emotional. I knew very little about this book going in, but I couldn’t stop listening, even when I was left with more questions. 

The structure isn’t perfect, and it messes with the pacing some, but the characters, themes, and language make up for that. 

Again, check the trigger warnings. I am not joking when I say there is some parts where I had to pause and take a f*cking breath. This is set in a hospital with a few different sick characters who all have different relationships with others and themselves, so it is meant to be emotional.

I’ll list the main TW here (since I post the review on Goodreads as well). 
Grief, child abuse (shown through bruises and injuries mostly, but there is a instance where there is some details), anorexia, self harm, child illnesses, abandonment, and one paragraph mention of rape (not graphic or detailed, just mentioned). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Terminal illness, and Self harm

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Mental illness

Minor: Rape

lilareads5678's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

if you want to be happy don’t read this book.
This was the saddest book I have read by far. But one of my favorites. You don’t learn much about the main character but in the end it all comes together. This book had the best quotes ever. It was also so poetically beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Terminal illness, Self harm, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Chronic illness, Child death, Eating disorder, and Grief

Moderate: Cursing, Vomit, Rape, War, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Pregnancy

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I wanted a book that was going to wreck me and I certainly found it. This is such a devastating, gorgeous, fucked up love story. It’s a story about friendship, about growing up, about becoming who you’re meant to be, about fighting off our demons. While a little abstract in some ways, this book is so powerful in its messaging about how we should exist on this planet and is such a phenomenal reminder about what is most important. It reminded me in some ways of “The Book Thief” by Marcus Zusak, which is another top five read for me. I’ve cried so much reading this that my eyes are barely able to see. Highly, highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Body horror, Child death, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

tyghe_bright's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

From the outset, I knew I'd love this book, even if the story was imperfect. The *writing*. The prose in this little book is STUNNING. It's made me catch my breath several times.  The writing is impressionistic, which I *love*, but may not be for folks who prefer narrative plot-driven novels.1

The prose remains strong throughout, though not quite as strong when she's focused on plot. And the plot often suffers from "that's not how it works" with unrealistic portrayals of life in a hospital. Something the author knows about, because she's struggled with autoimmune disease. I also really felt the author's youth. It feels a little immature at times. 
 

There's a "twist" about the narrator which is handled a little clumsily. It's hinted at heavily, and then explained explicitly, where it would have been better left more open. 

Some reviews say it needed to be more accurate and realistic... but I disagree. If I were her editor, I would have encouraged her to go MORE abstract and fantastical. Her work shines most when she focuses on emotion and sensation.

Overall, it's a beautiful, if slightly imperfect, book with lovely, tender, tragic relationships. I still recommend it and will look for more by Lancali. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Chronic illness, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Ableism, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Body shaming, Self harm, and Religious bigotry

sneha_sharma's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

It took me some time to grasp the story and build interest. The plot is slow in the beginning, speeds up a bit and maintains the same pace throughout, until the end. Also the dialogues are too poetic, and sort of hinder the flow of reading.
A major thing that should be mentioned somewhere in the beginning or on the back of the book is trigger warnings.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Rape

soyabeanos's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

This is my absolute FAVOURITE book hands down. There is no contest, I've reread this book at least 5 times and it would've been more had I not lent both of my copies out LOL. I cannot express how much I adore this book with a passion

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

kmarr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

Heartbreaking story about love and growth and death

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Grief, Medical content, Eating disorder, Bullying, Terminal illness, Suicide, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Child death

shaleen64's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

I struggled to engage with the first half of the book as I found Sam the narrator’s character confusing. However, the second half of the book is inspiring and heartbreaking in equal measure and the ending does not leave any room for confusion. This book makes you reflect on what you have to be grateful for. 

For those will a chronic or terminal illness it validates how hard it can be and for those without it gives you a glimpse of what our lives are like.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Death, Eating disorder, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Blood and Homophobia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Vomit

thebombshellbooksta's review against another edition

sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, and Eating disorder

oakairi's review against another edition

I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. 

My main issue with the book is how over the top it is when it comes to the language; it's too poetic and flowery and comes off as though it's trying too hard to be quotable. For this reason, I did find the story to be emotional, but a lot of it felt forced with how it was written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death, Rape, and Suicide

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Medical content