Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

21 reviews

august_ambrosia's review against another edition

emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.0

solid book! slightly annoying naive voice for a 17 year old but thats to be expected and it wasn't terrible or grating. nice witch hunt story + i would call the ending unrealistic if it wasn't historically accurate. so. pretty fun! good stuff. there's probably better witchy historical fiction out there but as far as it goes. not bad. tw for pretty graphic description of labour 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Death and Pedophilia

blissofalife's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

I was a little disappointed with the climax and ending. It felt like we were building up to some grand reveal which never came. Even the title of the book felt a little misleading? Familiars were mentioned, but never obviously attached or showed clear purpose. I didn’t really understand Fleetwood obsession with Alice, but maybe that was the point and I missed it.

  And the big reveal about her husband having another family? Why did that just fizzle out at the end and come to nothing? We spent half the book with her being so distressed about it and in the end the solution is: “I’ll just ignore it.” But the reveal at the end that these were real characters and loosely. (very loosely.) based on real events was super interesting to me!

 

I did, however, love the attention to historical detail and dedication to - as far as I can tell - historical accuracy in the descriptions of interactions between the classes and feelings and views of the time. As well as what the characters were wearing, and why.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, and Classism

Minor: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

sandysmith's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.25

I'm gradually adding books I've read in 2021 to give a true reflection of the books I've read since keeping records.  This was the first book I read in 2021, and is what kick-started my reading journey having put reading on the  back burner whilst bringing up the children,  previously being an avid reader. Set in 1612' it's an historical read. Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17' who learns to be a midwife and is accused of being a witch. Pendle witch trials used as basis for the story. She starts off strongly but seems to weaken over tge course of the story. I was cross that she forgave her husband for his affair. I was disappointed in the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse and Pedophilia

malcccccolm's review

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.75

The premise and set up if good but everything compelling and all the driving force for the main character is undone in the last 15 pages. Also a notiable lack of familiars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Eating disorder

Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Rape

sammie_snk's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious

3.75

*Trigger warning for those experienced with pregnancy loss*

Interesting tale of strong women finding friendship and support during an era that is quite unkind to women. Lots of twists and a satisfying yet mysterious conclusion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, and Pedophilia

Minor: Rape

yikeslou's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

In case, like me, you're ridden with furious anxiety throughout this book and want a spoiler free reassurance: it all works out. Just you wait and see how!

Anyway let's talk about how Alice was a better husband to Fleetwood throughout that whole book. Every man in this is evil and should get hemorrhoids.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Infidelity, and Miscarriage

Minor: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Main character is seventeen years old and married to a man a few years older than her, as was common at the time. MC occasionally hints at an instance of sexual abuse in her childhood before discussing it in depth at the end of the book

livlostinstereo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape

kibiiiariii's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

chloemakesbooks's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.0

A good story. Could have used a little haircut, and a deeply flawed main character that I don't think I liked... And a heaping dose of classism. I wanted a little more historic in my fiction, I think. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Blood, and Classism

Minor: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

vintage_library's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

What an incredible read. I found it extremely difficult to put down. A perfect mix of fiction and well researched history. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Minor: Pedophilia