Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Sign for Home by Blair Fell

9 reviews

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

permanme's review

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Death, Grief, Ableism, and Alcohol

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

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

imds's review

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Grief, Cancer, Bullying, and Alcoholism

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

rebeca_sac7's review

emotional informative inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Bullying

Minor: Death of parent

sisselh's review against another edition

emotional funny informative fast-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

What an amazing book - could not stop listening! Great narration by the author too!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Abandonment

savvyrosereads's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

Rating: 4/5 stars

Out April 5, 2022 [Huge thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!]

The Sign for Home is the story of Arlo Dilly, a twenty-three year old man searching for love, who also happens to be DeafBlind. When Arlo learns that the things he believes about himself, his disability, and his past may not be the whole story, he enlists his new interpreter, Cyril, to help right the wrongs of the past and find the love he thought he had already lost.

I was so excited when The Sign for Home showed up at my door, both because I had been seeing it everywhere and because the synopsis sounded right up my alley, and fortunately it lived up to all my expectations. The novel starts off a bit slowly, and features chapters written in second person (which I’ve actually never encountered before!) and quite a bit of dialogue written in Deaf/ASL syntax, all of which meant it took me a little bit to get in the “groove” of reading. But, once I was there, I was fully captivated—the characters are fantastic and dynamic, each with their own faults and foibles but equally easy to love (well, in most cases!), and the plot is straightforward but with enough mystery and surprise to keep readers engaged.

This isn’t necessarily an easy read—I was heartbroken and furious on the characters’ behalf several times—but it is one of the most unique and enthralling stories I’ve encountered this year (or any year). If you want an uplifting-but-honest story that will make you smile, cry, laugh, and think, I highly recommend picking this up when it releases in April.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: unique writing styles; thought-provoking narratives; memorable characters.

CW: Ableism; homophobia; forced institutionalization; medical abuse; gaslighting; mentions of sexual assault accusations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Ableism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual assault

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