Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Sign for Home by Blair Fell

8 reviews

carakupferman's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

The Sign for Home is totally unique and utterly brilliant. The main character, Arlo, is a 23-year old DeafBlind man who has been raised with a strict Jehovah’s Witness upbringing by his controlling and religious uncle. Before embarking on a mission to Ecuador, he is permitted to take a summer writing course at the local community college to improve his English writing skills, and he is introduced to a new interpreter, Cyril. Cyril is gay, a bit chaotic, and terrified at the prospect of working with a DeafBlind consumer using tactile ASL but agrees to the job with the hope that the money will finally enable him to escape Poughkeepsie. The two men develop a strong friendship and partnership as Cyril’s support helps Arlo break through the trauma and repressed memories of his past and begin to question his sheltered life. When he learns that his childhood sweetheart is still out there, he embarks on a journey to find her against all odds of inaccessibility and neglect.

The story in this book is tremendously moving, but its most unique and interesting feature is the use of voice. Cyril’s perspective is written in a classic first person narration, but Arlo’s perspective is written in second person, creating a sense of both distance and intimacy, putting you in Arlo’s head while also taking you out of the moment. I also loved the way Blair Fell translated and transliterated ASL, preserving the distinctness of ASL from English and giving his Deaf and DeafBlind characters an authentic voice. This book is so interesting and compelling. Possibly my favorite so far this year!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Bullying, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcohol

a_manning11's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry and Physical abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Ableism, Death of parent, Cancer, Bullying, Alcoholism, and Infidelity

the content warning for physical abuse refers to the abysmal situation inside the nursing home

laurenlee2158's review

funny informative 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Ableism

Minor: Alcohol and Abandonment

kimveach's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

I loved this book!  I wish I could find these characters and become their friend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Cancer, Homophobia, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, and Medical trauma

dazzle_spider_reader_1212's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Rape, Medical content, Sexual assault, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, and Sexual content

bel017's review

challenging emotional 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

Arlo is DeafBlind, and sheltered in a bad way. He meets Cyril--a new (to Arlo) interpreter--when he starts a class to improve his English. Cyril teaches Arlo about his rights, and advocates for him. The blurb on GR/SG/the back of the book captures maybe the last quarter of the book. Needs a much better blurb.

I hadn't realised there was neglect, confinement and emotional abuse of a child on the page. I wouldn't have read it if I'd realised, so I skipped all those sections as best I could. Lots of fascinating, terrible and excellent information about the DeafBlind community, wrapped in a challenging but heartfelt story. By the time I realised the triggers I was in too deep and had to find out what happened.

I was shocked at how many parents of Deaf children don't learn sign language. The idea that they ... choose not to? Don't have the resources to? I don't understand. Everything was distressing.

I didn't realise this had been listed as a romance. It's not really a romance, it's a bildungsroman (coming of age story).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Ableism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Moderate: Infidelity, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Confinement, and Terminal illness

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Cancer, Excrement, Outing, Blood, and Sexual harassment

uranaishi's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Excrement, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Medical content, Outing, Terminal illness, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Colonisation, and Cursing

Minor: Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Deportation, Physical abuse, Vomit, Blood, Child death, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

kerrygetsliterary's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Sexual content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Rape