Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

14 reviews

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

daydaybookbay's review against another edition

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

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

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

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

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

Moderate: Sexual content

gracescanlon's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring tense 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

4.75

As a woman with multiple forms of synesthesia and with family members who also have it, a historical fiction story told from the perspective of a woman with synesthesia is so up my alley, it may as well have been written for me. 

I found Isobel’s descriptions of her experiences with her own synesthesia quite believable. I haven’t had such vibrant experiences myself since I was a girl, but I remember them, and still have smaller, less dramatic ones. Whether Ms. Albanese has synesthesia or not, I found her portrayals of it, especially how it touches every part of life, to ring true. Well done!

This would have been a five-star read, but I felt that the story was rushed in some places. That rush led to a lack of development and depth in characters and their relationships with one another. I think if more time had been devoted to building and expanding upon these, it would've enriched the novel - and earned five stars from me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Death, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Miscarriage, Addiction, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Sexism, Sexual content, and Slavery

Minor: Ableism, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child death, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts

spineofthesaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Alcoholism, Child death, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Colonisation, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs, Abandonment, Death of parent, Confinement, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Abortion, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Slavery, and Sexual content

Minor: Medical content, Incest, Vomit, Gun violence, and Excrement

bookswithbront's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This book tried to do a few too many things and didn’t develop some of its ideas as fully as I’d like. But I still really enjoyed my time with the story. And I have a feeling that Isobel’s colors and the way the women came together to help each other survive are going to stick with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Slavery, Trafficking, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Miscarriage

oceanwriter's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

4.0

I'll be honest. I wanted to read this book because the cover is gorgeous. I paid minimum attention to the synopsis until later when I was discussing it with the person I ended up buddy-reading it with. Once I fully realized what it was about and where it was set, I was 100% sold.

Isobel and her husband, Edward, immigrate from Scotland to Salem, Massachusetts sometime in the early 1800s. They aren't together here long as Edward soon joins a ship crew and leaves Isobel behind to fend for herself. She's not without a trade, fortunately, and is a talented seamstress. But are her talents the result of something that could ultimately put her life in danger?

While Edward is away, Isobel forges a friendship with none other than Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both of them are haunted by their pasts and lineage. This common bond draws them to one another.

I enjoyed this a lot, though I could be biased as I can consider it a local story. I do think I would have gotten a lot more out of the story if I had first read The Scarlet Letter. One thing I still can't figure out is the significance of the italicized sections of the book. I understand the connection between the characters portrayed here and the protagonists, but they fizzle out toward the end. I personally found it more confusing than an aid in the progression of the story.

This is the first time I've read a book that involves a character with synesthesia. So fascinating. It added a lot to Isobel's character and made the story richer. The descriptions were fantastic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Addiction, and Infidelity

Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Bullying, and Abortion

keyahnah's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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

Moderate: Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Slavery, and Emotional abuse

bootsmom3's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Addiction, Infidelity, and Misogyny

Minor: Rape