Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

36 reviews

itsemmaofc's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse

saint_eleanor's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This was really really good, very weird. It's a really unique way of telling the story of childhood abuse and how children often have to deal with strangers coming into their lives or their parents lives and kind of being this harbinger of neglect. The mother meets a 'crane' and they fall in love and she starts to ignore her children and just throws herself into an art piece with the crane man all the while he is abusing her. It really deeply unsettled me. 
Very well written despite being from the perspective of a teen, the language was really beautiful. I also caught bluebeard's castle vibes from the story her dad told her about the crane wife and also echoes of the green ribbon story, as in like women have these aspects to them that they want to keep just for themselves but men feel so entitled to them that they MUST know, causing eternal curse!! I really appreciated the modern setting as well, made it really creepy, the stuff w the sheep scared me!!! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Child abuse

meaghanelizabook's review

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Cancer, Child abuse, Body horror, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Terminal illness, Blood, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

booksthoughtsandtea's review

dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

This book shows the lengths older siblings will go to protect younger siblings, that love isn't enough to live on, the power of selfishness and selflessness, and the burden of grief. I wish this book had a more satisfying ending. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Murder, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Grief

homiegandalf's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I was inconsolable after finishing this retelling. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and crying. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Mental illness

catapocalypse's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Artful and heartbreaking. It's hard to say much without revealing too much for this short novella.

As the synopsis suggests, it tackles themes of domestic abuse and child neglect, so that can make it a tough read at times.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

daniellekat's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

Beautiful and simple but the writing often surprised me with its power of capturing certain moments and feelings. I loved the added element of the not-too-far-future dystopian environment. Overall, a stunning novella with an interesting perspective on a tragic and all too common experience. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Blood

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Animal death, Blood, Death, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Cancer, Eating disorder, and Grief

pm_me_book_recs's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

Heartbreaking; a tale of neglect, abuse, and violence, but also about gaining self-agency and powerful enduring love.

This one may be a tough read for those who had to grow up to early and became sibling-parents due to neglect, or anyone who has survived domestic violence. Multiple times this little story had me ugly crying. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

thelittle_seokmin's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism