Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

6 reviews

bellascho's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Xenophobia

Minor: Addiction and Pregnancy

moody_gobling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

1.5

Seemed a lot like misery open to me. I found a lot of things to be contrived and unrealistic. I am grateful that I read it before giving it as a gift to the person I had intended to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

elaineh7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent

eternalparadox's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Addiction

kweaver_pdx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• 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: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Addiction

sarah984's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I don't really know what to think about this book. The true story of the orphan trains is interesting, tragic and important, but the author made every possible wrong decision.

The characters are all flat stereotypes (drunk Irishman, bitter Native American foster child, kind teacher with no characteristics) and the story follows very predictable beats. The constant use of "Indian" in the modern sections is mind-boggling. The story is written like a middle-grade book to teach kids about the orphan trains, but contains a graphic rape scene.

This is an important story to tell, but there must be better books about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Physical abuse, Grief, and Religious bigotry