Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

62 reviews

wquindley's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-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

holy moly, this book was an unexpected rollercoaster of emotions. the first book i have loved in months. i couldn’t put it down. i learned so much about indigenous tribes through reading this all while swept away by a beautifully written heart wrenching story. she writes about so many difficult topics. i can’t believe that this book has been on my TBR for so long and that this is angeline boulley’s debut novel. amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

sgksoccer5's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Suicide and Abandonment

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I love when I read a book that is unlike any book I’ve ever read before. This book opened up new worlds because I’ve not really read any contemporary books with Native people as the main characters. Learning about Native culture and customs through this novel was a breathtaking experience. The plot is believable, the characters choose paths that are unexpected, and the ending is sad but gives you a sense of finality as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

teajunki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

madlyreading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

ajaggers324's review

challenging emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

lovealwaysadi's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism

natkbailey's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

megob's review against another edition

I really loved the book, up until the part where I stopped.

I totally understand that books can't all have a happy ending, and that this ending--had I read it--probably wouldn't be *un*happy, but I'm disappointed that that's how it went. Yeah, I was surprised, but I wouldn't have read the book knowing the ending. And that kinda ruins it for me.

 

First half of the book gets 5 stars. Third quarter gets 4 stars. Last 6% gets a DNF 🤷

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality

If you're looking for spoilers based on content warnings.

the main character experiences or sees all the things listed above happen in her community. Multiple deaths throughout the book, many of which the reader is present for. Descriptions of her grief after these deaths. Neurodivergency affecting her experience of grief and understanding of the situations. A gun is directed at the main character. Descriptions of those in the throes of addiction. Graphic description of sexual assault with "fade to black" followed by internal and external gaslighting and the suggestion that this was not his first assault. Drugging and kidnapping resulting in confinement and forced compliance with illegal activity. Car accident follows which results in medical trauma and death.

At that point I stopped reading, so I'm not certain if anyone was brought to justice but it seems like they would be. Putting it all out there it seems like a horrible story, but it's really really not! The pacing and atmosphere of the first half of the book are very different from the last half.

galexy_brain's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? No

4.0

What a page-turner! I needed to know more. I appreciated the story's invitation into the lives of indigenous folks on a reservation and learning more about Anishnaabe language and culture. I found

her brother being involved in the drug ring predictable because Daunis idolized him the whole time, even when he was evidently shitty in some ways. I also found Daunis's experience of grief to fall flat partially, but I'm no expert on how people process grief. It's just that as a reader I didn't really feel her grief very strongly, or find it particularly sad when Lily died, since we barely got to know her beforehand. I also really wanted to find out what was going on with the Little People but they never reappeared.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism