Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

70 reviews

beckcatbooks's review

dark emotional

4.5

God, this story. This shines a light on an important but also devastating piece of history, and I’m equal parts heartbroken and incensed by the lives that were affected by this. Rill Foss has my heart and her story will stick with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Child death, and Trafficking

Moderate: Sexual assault and Dementia

Minor: Death of parent

autumnpayne's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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? No

2.5

Some parts felt too long while the ending felt rushed. Not in love with the book but appreciate the story and lessoned learned by the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

sarah_amy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book both had and broke my heart. I cared so much about Rill/May, her siblings and all the other children, and Avery's investigation among it all. I went in completely blind with this book, so was floored to know this is based on real events and that Georgia Tann was the person behind all the horror. I was less interested in the political side of it all and the romance felt a bit forced (not a bad match, just unnecessary). It would have been a 5 star on the investigation and flashbacks to Rill/May's past alone, but the politics/romance almost felt like I was being interrupted by a side story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Torture, and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent, Slavery, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dementia, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Cursing, Rape, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Based on the child trafficking/illegal adoption agency of Georgia Tann. Lots of details of abuse and allusions to death that went on in the foster homes involved. Many of these children were adopted out illegally and without the consent of the birth parents - some were outright stolen like in this story.

goodin10tions's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Sexual assault, Child death, Child abuse, Incest, and Grief

hhalat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

ajay913's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Child death, and Pregnancy

Minor: Violence and Racial slurs

joymaxineb's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

mmariericker's review against another edition

emotional slow-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

2.75

This book has many of the same flaws as Crawdads and Lost Apothecary. Don’t write dual POV — especially split by time — if you can’t make both characters strong. This story was longer than it needed to be and

the present-day love story between Avery and Trent truly made me roll my eyes. She didn’t need to be engaged to Elliott to make this plot line exist

I definitely skimmed portions of this because I simply… didn’t care that much. Characters fell flat. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

fragrant_stars's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

would've rated it higher if not for the timeskipping back and forth between present and past. was not all that invested in the present day bits of the story, felt like a hindrance at some points.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Child death

Moderate: Death of parent and Death

Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Rape

corriejn's review against another edition

4.75

I was familiar with historical human Georgia Tann before, and found this to be both well-told story (or pair of intertwining stories-- one from the late 1930s and one modern-day) and specifically a compassionate, poignant humanization of how Tann may have impacted individuals.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Trafficking, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Infertility, Death of parent, and Pedophilia

Minor: Ableism