Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

55 reviews

leeshisreading's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

I wished to complain about how the ending doesn’t fulfil me.  But I can’t, because life isn’t fair- it isn’t perfect, and therefore I cannot sit here and complain for an unrealistic perspective. Susie Salmon is a cool, compassionate and genuinely kind character- her personality so intrinsically sewn into her narration that I struggle to come to terms with the fact that she is not real. And I believe Sebold had a similar experience in what must be the best, most heartfelt afterward I have ever read:

“Susie has turned out to be more powerful than I could ever be. I may have created Susie Salmon, but I hold no doubt that it is the act of letting her go that redeems me.”

Overall, it was beautiful- i didn’t like the relationship between Samuel and Lindsay to begin with, but I will blame that on the sisterly bond I felt with her- this underlying need to protect her, just like Susie. It only increases my love for the book more that it was able to make me feel such a way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, and Pedophilia

sarahsbookss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Rape, Sexual violence, Grief, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Kidnapping

gmjohnson's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Rape

birtch's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, and Grief

katiej's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

3.0

Interesting read, can understand why some people really enjoy this and why it is often studied in school. 

Felt the writing was a bit confusing at times and went off on a tangent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Grief, Child death, and Death

belladonnashrike's review

reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

this was so heartbreaking. really really good, but heartbreaking. 

I really liked the choice in perspective & I love how it dealt with

susie’s mortal life as well as her journey beyond.

after reading this & seeing the movie - I like both versions but I prefer the book. saorise was absolutely phenomenal in the movie and I loved her as susie

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Child abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Child death, and Sexual content

rebeccamatthews's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual assault

jazzjhg's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

idlg34713's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

The book is very different from the movie. Vastly so. I think both are good but the movie is nothing like the movie. I don't know if it's possible to make a better film adaptation than they did, the medium just doesn't lend itself to the story as well as text does. I really reccomend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Murder, and Rape

lilyn's review

Beginning was too graphic and horrible 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Child death