Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

26 reviews

ezismythical's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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? Yes

4.0

This is a REALLY rough read. It is definitely worth it, but hard as hell.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Colonisation

bubblybelle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.25

this book unfortunately just didn’t live up to my expectations. it made a lot of poignant commentary about the way mothers are treated in our society, especially mothers of color; however, the plot really dragged at times. the romance subplot towards the middle there also didn’t really add much for me. overall, this was fine but not great. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment

Moderate: Self harm and Suicide

Minor: Miscarriage and Pedophilia

crystalsparkles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings first and only read if you can truly handle them.  This book is soooo good.  The story had me raging, and bawling, frustrated by injustice and hopeful… It is devastating. There were times when I didn’t know if I could finish the story, because it almost hits too hard. Especially in the global political climate, who’s to say this is too far of a stretch for North America sometime in the nearish future.  It will surely make you question your own parenting.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, and Kidnapping

miel106's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

betsygrace's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

I actually really enjoyed this book; it kept me on my toes from start to finish. It also gave me Handmaid’s Tale vibes. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

laurenlee2158's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

pjwanders's review against another edition

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

daniellenelson's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

stailysh1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

This is a hard book to review because it is written well but it's also horrifying.  Nothing good happens in this book and it put me in a funk while reading it.  I considered not finishing it.  That being said, I did want to know how it ended and where it was going.  It criticizes how mothers are constantly shamed and criticized by society in the hyperbolic way a dystopian novel can.  The characters were not lovable, but they're not supposed to be.  The author succeeds in sending her message, although it did begin to get repetitive.  The hopelessness in the book was fully captured and conveyed.  The ending wasn't altogether a bad choice, but it wasn't satisfying either.  I wish the author had spent more time building the world outside of the main character.  The main character is consistently a doormat, and she is supposed to be, but I did not find it enjoyable to read from her perspective because she barely grows beyond it.  In the end, it feels like the book has made a point but gone nowhere with it.

I plan to read something lighter after this because this is the kind of book that gives you a bad "book hangover".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Grief

kelisabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail