Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie

10 reviews

ady_soundslike80's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I really loved the structure of this book. Frequently, a book of this nature would have alternated chapters between the two perspectives. This one, instead, told the entire story from one perspective and then from the other perspective, followed by a brief omniscient perspective to tie it all together. I tend to dislike dual perspectives, but told in this manner, I was able to empathize with each of the perspectives.

I would say that this is a book about friendship, but the two main characters were not friends for the majority of the book.

Additionally, the tentative relationship at the end was imperfect, fragile, and not easily defined as friendship.

It is instead a book about the relationships between women in a misogynistic culture and how their bonds (or lack thereof) can affect how women navigate their lives. 

I absolutely loved that these characters were flawed humans. They made mistakes. They grew. They are still growing. This journey of growth made the characters relatable (flaws and all).

I know that this was listed on the Women’s Prize longlist last year, but I never got around to reading it. Somehow, I expected a very straightforward and somewhat shallow story. After reading the novel though, I can certainly appreciate the excellent writing and understand why it made the list. 

I think this would be a fantastic book to discuss in a book club. I have purchased a copy for my mom because I intend to press it into her hands soon.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

mmesoma's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

electricshe's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Frustrating almost the entire way through. But always compelling, and often incredibly poignant. The prose is magnetic and purposeful. It’s a genre I don’t normally read, and way too smart for me. I am tired of stories that use sexual violence as a catalyst in female characters’ lives, but there was so much more—as there always ought to be—to the lives of these women and what is being said with the story. Don’t let it put you off, if you usually feel that way too. I’m glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Abortion, and Death of parent

readalongwithyasmin's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

linda_elaine's review

challenging emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault

jouljet's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

alisonannk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Infidelity, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

carolines's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

 Nightbloom is the story of Akorfa and Silasi, cousins so inseparable when they were young girls that they were more like sisters or best friends. But then circumstances changed, they changed and their bond that was once so strong frayed and eventually broke.

The storytelling was wonderfully engaging and the structure, whereby we first learn Akorfa’s story and then Silasi’s, was really effective at highlighting how no one person necessarily knows the complete true story, and that different people can interpret the same information in totally different ways. As a reader I thought I knew what story this book was telling, but adding Silasi’s perspective which included new information, meant the actual story was very different from my first impression.

In many ways this was a difficult book to read. Not only does it deal with child sexual abuse but the casual way the children were neglected, abandoned, emotionally abused, held responsible for the actions of adults, and used as pawns in adult disputes was really confronting. I can only hope the featured behaviour isn’t the cultural norm.

The story was rich and layered, exploring so many additional themes - racism in America, sexism and misogyny, political corruption in Ghana, family structure and dynamics, intergenerational trauma, class, wealth, personal and cultural values - yet they always felt intrinsic to the story; never heavy handed nor shoe-horned in.

The characterisation was excellent. Both Akorfa and Silasi as well as many of the minor characters leapt of the page - flaws and all. And all the characters were flawed. Many grew over the story, some more than others, yet their essential temperaments, personalities and associated flaws remained, which added to the authenticity in my opinion. Which brings me to the ending. It may not necessarily have been realistic and is definitely not to be recommended or emulated. And yet in the context of the story I could totally understand the reasoning and may even have cheered silently. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent

internationalreads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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? Yes

3.0

I LOVED her first book but this one was a disappointment. Way too long and overly explained (telling rather than showing). I did like the narrative shift halfway through though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment