Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

17 reviews

yush's review against another edition

emotional slow-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

4.5

I loved this book! I enjoyed the integration of history and  Etymology throughout the novel. The  characters were fully fledged and the main character had a strong voice. I enjoyed seeing her growth and life come to life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Pregnancy, Child abuse, and War

joshuamartinsen's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

This book is PERFECT. It does exactly what it says in the blurb, but so much more. The author is SO intentional about which words are used and when- carefully choosing which details of the protagonists life to gloss over and which to explore in painstaking detail based on their significance to her at each point in her life. The use of time skips was so thoughtful, and i found they always fast-tracked me to exactly where I wanted to be. Can’t recommend this book enough, and the attention to detail and care that the author put into it is obvious in every word, paragraph, page, and chapter. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Classism, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Child abuse, and Police brutality

pammicmac's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Abortion

graceevalyn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-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? Yes

4.5

I loved this book!! I really enjoy books that deal with big social issues by focusing on very intimate aspects of a single person's life, and by doing that are able to say something clearly about the social issue clearly without preaching. This book did that. It's so thoroughly researched and meticulously put together; the historical detail included about the making of the dictionary is fascinating. The main character and many of the supporting characters are masterfully drawn, flawed, yet sympathetic characters. It's beautifully written and reflects on the role of women (or lack thereof) in the development of language, as well as more generally the power of words and sometimes their inability to say what we want to say. It's also astonishing to read a book that covers a scope of so many years and yet is paced so well and keeps my interest/remains consistent in tone and ideas the whole time while growing along with the character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, War, Cursing, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion

innerweststreetlibrarian's review against another edition

informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I found this disappointingly slow going. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the book, it just didn’t grab me enough to get through it quickly. Esme is quite passive for a protagonist. Things happen around her and to her. It’s a bit depressing. 
The words are the real star of the story. I enjoyed the premise that there’s a gender bias in these original dictionaries and the process of collecting the women’s words and defining them was really interesting. The story could have benefited from more of that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death of parent, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Violence, Mental illness, and Sexism

Minor: Misogyny and Infertility

aseel_reads's review against another edition

hopeful reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

really enjoyed learning about how the Oxford English dictionary was created!! I liked how the book interwined with the British suffragette movement and world war one. I also liked the intersection of class and gender. I do wish there was more race and gender, besides the bit in the epilogue. I liked Esme, I thought she was a well established character and I liked her arc. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Abortion

jujubeees's review against another edition

reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Death, War, and Sexism

there should be a content warning for adoption.