Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

13 reviews

sterlingreads's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, Child abuse, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

cpersin's review

dark emotional sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexual assault, Self harm, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Incest, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, and Gore

bseigel's review

fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Suicide, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Incest, and Self harm

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

cerys_ah's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders

cait's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Dementia, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism

mtehan7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Slavery, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Suicide

cassie7e's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I picked this up after a neighbor highly recommended the film. This book was hard for me given the subject matter of the inciting incident, but had much questioning and discussion that I found enriching and important to think about. I loved the characterizations of each woman and girl, how their ages and personalities played into their behaviors and dialogue. Some people dislike that it's women talking in circles but (as per the title) that is the point; the story witnesses women taking control, thinking and talking for themselves, challenging each other, and this is how decision making happens. It felt real and not at all superficial. So don't read this if you need books to have concrete plot.

Some may also dislike that it's narrated by a man, and that the "minutes" are more of a transcript. 

I'm surprised that so many reviews disliked the religious focus of the discussions when it's clearly about Mennonite women, people in an explicitly religious colony separated from the rest of the world. Of course religious questions will be of primary concern for these women! And I did not see them as cold and inadequately outraged - they are seriously discussing actions that defy their entire social structure as a result of the atrocity they experienced, and as many trauma victims, are detaching themselves from the feelings so they can make decisions without shutting down and losing their opportunity to make a choice at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Self harm, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Vomit, Death, and Miscarriage

kimveach's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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

3.75

This is a weird little book.  It really is about women talking during a two-day meeting.  I found it strangely compelling, though.  I can't decide if I want to see the movie or not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Violence, Child abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Rape, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

lisesenb's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Confinement, Alcohol, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Self harm, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Grief, Dementia, Deadnaming, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Incest, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, and Sexual content

jess_segraves's review

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Death, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Incest, and Pregnancy