Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

23 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

mariewordaddict'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? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed most of it, and the passion that developed between the protagonist and her lover did seem convincing. Something about the narration was slightly awkward though I can't put my finger on what. The protagonist might be a little bit of a Mary Sue, I guess because I don't think of sexuality as a flaw, so otherwise she was wholesome, loving, forgiving, all the positive things. Maybe too many. Idk. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Sexism

sxndaze's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

3.5

Once he said, I invented you and you came. Now he's saying the opposite: that I am the conjurer, and he is the conjured.

gorgeous and fascinating. the twist on the scarlett letter’s origin story is interesting to weird and isobel is a great character to read. it drags a at times,but the payoff is good

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

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

blewballoon's review against another edition

This is a well written story that explores mostly the struggles of women and immigrants in the 1600s and 1800s. It also touches on how mental health was often misunderstood and demonized in those times. While those themes are being explored in lovely prose, I know the story of the Scarlet Letter and I'm dreading reading this and watching the main character suffer. She's trying her best to make friends and support herself, it's been a struggle from the start and I can see it all crashing down. I would like to pretend she catches a break instead and things work out better. I may revisit this. I do recommend if you aren't as much of a softy as me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Violence, Torture, and Blood

laurenlee2158's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Grief, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Suicide, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Miscarriage, Abortion, Colonisation, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Sexual assault, Ableism, and Sexual content

jmschnepp's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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

3.75

Hester is the story of Isobel Gambel. She comes to America from her homeland, Scotland, with her husband, Edward. They leave Scotland to escape the poor house.

Edward signed on with Captain Darling for travel and trade. While he's gone, Isobel becomes close with Nathaniel Hawthorne. What ensues is an affair that produces a child and one of the most important and well-known pieces of literary fiction ever written.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Infidelity, Violence, Addiction, Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy