Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Deerskin by Robin McKinley

8 reviews

fabphryne's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, and Rape

coris's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Fatphobia

lottomotto's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

Wasted fantasy storytelling. I realize this story is dated but it didn’t challenged some boundaries or stretch a classic myth into a unique yarn .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Violence

jessicafee86's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

And what he saw was a Moon-haired woman in a Moon-colored dress with a tall Moon-colored dog at her side. She was barefoot, and her hair hung down her back in a single long plait. Her dress was so white it almost hurt the eyes, while the dog’s long curly coat was softer, silver-grey, almost fawn, like the Moon in a summer fog.

There are so many things that I could say about this book, it is one of my all time favorite books. I've read it at least 15 or 20 times over the years. It's a tough read for a lot of reasons, the content is very adult in nature and is a very tough topic to read about. The book is also a slow writing style and takes a bit to get started but it's well worth it. Some people have problems getting past the first part because of the *spoiler alert!* incest between her and her father and the seemingly calm way that she seems to handle it. But it makes more sense when you keep reading and is such a beautiful story. I've never come across a book like this one before, it's definitely not for everyone, but it's worth trying.

2018 Re-read Update: Been a few years since I've read this and it's still just as good as I remember.

2024 Re-Read: It's funny how six years can bring out different feelings. I had forgotten how many things in this book shaped me as a person when I was growing up. I don't think I will ever not love this book. Discovered it around 25 yrs ago and it's still the only book I've re-read consistently. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

tasintom's review against another edition

5.0

Now one of my top 10 reads. And my new favorite audiobook. A fantastic story told so very well

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal cruelty

ashleyjapan's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Incest, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

Minor: Violence, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Miscarriage

jessmahler's review

challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

every three or four years, for over twenty years now, I have re-read Deerskin. Not because I wanted to, but because I needed to. Because something in that book called to the trauma in me and demanded I listen. At each step of my healing, this book spoke to me.

For the first time since I was a teenager, I read to this book simply for nostalgia, because I have healed enough to remember it fondly. It feels like I'm seeing it clearly for the first time. 

"This is my body. I reclaim my own body for myself." 

This and so much more that I needed to hear and didn't know I needed, that no one around me knew or cared enough to say.

It is wonderful to come back to it now and read it just as it is, to enjoy the story, the skill used to convey the realities of trauma and recovery that go so far beyond words, the characters, Lissar's journey, and Ash and Ob, and all it. 

I love this book and expect to come back to it many more times -- but from now on for joy and not for healing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Rape

trauma recovery

jjjreads's review

tense slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence