Reviews tagging 'Rape'

I Fell in Love with Hope by Lancali

79 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

ninarivagf's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Bullying, Rape, Violence, Self harm, Suicide, and Sexual violence

aidanjo8's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Violence, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Homophobia, Suicide, and Rape

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

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

robin_hood's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

2.0

I feel like it was trying too hard to be poetic and whimsical, but in the end it just fell flat. The metaphors are overused and repeated in every chapter, the dialogue is unrealistic, and the writing itself is hard to follow, choppy, and grammatically challenged. 

It was an easy read, yes, but I really only finished it because I was reading it for someone else. If I’d picked it up on my own, I would’ve probably DNFed it.

The ending was? Sad? The other characters’ stories and

deaths

were well done and emotional, but the whole thing with Sam and Hikari was lost on me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Self harm

Minor: Rape

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

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

ashmak06's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Medical content, Suicide, Death, Grief, Self harm, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Vomit, Rape, and Pregnancy