Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang

28 reviews

anna_m_k's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Transphobia, and Sexual violence

Minor: Miscarriage

vicki_'s review

adventurous mysterious reflective 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

Moderate: Child abuse and Violence

jayisreading's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

I think giving this any kind of rating is difficult, only because there are so many elements of this book that I can see will not be of interest to some. That said, for me, I found myself compelled by the story and, especially, Zhang’s writing style. It’s dreamlike and lingers in a way that captures what it feels to ruminate. The story isn’t exactly linear since the protagonist, Lucy, lets her thoughts run free into the hills (to be a little cheesy). However, it does so in an organic way, as she describes her surroundings and the people around her, especially her family dynamics. I was especially taken to this, because it captured such bittersweet moments between family members, particularly between siblings, that left a profound impression on me.

This novel is a fascinating take on the Western (during the Gold Rush) through the lens of a Chinese American, drawing attention to a group whose voices were/are rarely heard. And Zhang did so in a beautiful way, weaving Mandarin into the story so unapologetically, highlighting the lived experiences of millions who grew up with more than one language in the United States; then and now. Furthermore, I really appreciated the queer representation that was paradoxically subtle yet prominent in this space, making clear that queer people have always existed. Really, it’s truly impressive how Zhang managed to place a gentle yet firm touch on the reader. I think there could have been more development on some of the other complex issues that Zhang touches on (e.g., settler colonialism), but I also understand that this is beyond the scope of this book—

There’s a sense of mythos that’s built around the idea of golden hills and a tiger lurking that I really enjoyed. And this book reads like a tiger lurking in the hills, where everything seems quiet, but Lucy will reveal what tigers are really capable of without flinching.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Violence

Minor: Rape

erniedresser's review

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

ratvibes's review

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Moderate: Child abuse

sarah984's review

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Parts of this book were beautiful and thought-provoking, but overall it was so miserable the whole way through that I couldn't really enjoy it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Trafficking, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death

Minor: Cannibalism, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Transphobia, and Rape

cereads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Death

Moderate: Child abuse and Miscarriage

Minor: Deadnaming

poursandpages's review

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I enjoyed the middle two sections, but the beginning was slow and the end was really disjointed for me.
BUT the writing was absolutely beautiful & I will definitely be reading more by Zhang! Literary fiction people, this one is for you.

CW: animal abuse, child abuse, alcohol abuse, graphic descriptions, racism

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism and Racism