Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

13 reviews

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

chronically_cosy's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Sexism

knitterscasket's review

emotional slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexism

roksyreads's review

4.5

This is a beautiful but difficult read. You must be able to suspend your modern mindset to a degree, something I often struggled with as Fleetwood feels so familiar to me - I saw much of myself and my frustrations with the world reflected and being a woman reflected in her. I think it will take time and another reading of this book to fully unpack my feelings about it. For now, I can say it is a deeply compelling tale about a young woman seeking justice, and her beliefs resonate strongly with my own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage

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

the_bees_books's review

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.25

If you're interested in the Lancashire witch trials, historical misogyny and historical thrillers, read this! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

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

emmasanderson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexism, Blood, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse and Pedophilia

evelum's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Exactly the kind of heartfelt adventure I was looking for. Fleetwood's perseverance was touching, and I loved how down to earth all her relationships were. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

alomie's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Solid book, it took me a while to get through the audio book, it's not one that will stay on my shelves, but definitely worth picking up if you like historical fiction based on real people and events.

It was possibly about 100 pages longer than I would have liked but overall I enjoyed the story. 

Fleetwood the main character is a strong leading lady and very worthy in trying to save her poor midwife Alice who is accused of witchcraft and the murder of a child. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Sexism and Sexual assault