Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Ruby by Cynthia Bond

7 reviews

rubybeast47's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Vomit, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Child death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Slavery, and Suicide

grove9ruby's review against another edition

3.5

While interesting, this story was disturbing, tragic, and surprising. I wasn't expecting a lot of what the story held. And the fact that my own name was the name of a abused main character was definitely... moving. A well written story, but not sure my lil heart can take more narratives like this.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Rape

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

• 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

 Ouch. Ruby was a real gut-punch of a read filled with all sorts of trigger warnings - sexual abuse, rape, child abuse, incest, trafficking, racism, and religious abuse being the first that come to mind. So much pain. So much suffering. So much darkness and trauma. This is not a book for the faint-hearted

Following a horrific childhood Ruby escapes to the big city where she survives rather than thrives. Being summoned back to her southern hometown, which remains keen to judge and condemn her for the sins done to her, precipitates a breakdown. The care and kindness of Ephraim, a childhood friend who has trauma of his own to deal with, eventually helps her to make peace with her past, to somehow learn to live with it.

Ruby seems personify the entirety of trauma suffered by Black women in America. The book clearly fits in the lineage of Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. At times the trauma felt overbearing and too much. But I’m well aware that says more about my privilege than the reality others experience. I was both pleased and relieved though that the ending offered some small measure of hope.

I’m not normally a fan of “magical realism” but I found it worked for me in this case. Apart from its use in scenes of voodoo and black magic I thought it a really effective way to demonstrate the trauma Ruby suffered and the inner turmoil she continued to live with, a way to explain the inexplicable, to say the unspeakable.

The writing was wonderfully evocative, the characters unforgettable, and the story totally compelling. But very much not a book for everyone.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Violence

lowkeymarie's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

3.0

Beautiful writing, rich characters, and a well-crafted story. But the many, many scenes of graphic sexual abuse of children, among other highly disturbing content, was completely overwhelming.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal death, Eating disorder, Excrement, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Racism, Racial slurs, Trafficking, and Vomit

incigiru's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Hate crime, Misogyny, Cursing, Child death, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Gun violence

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Body shaming, Torture, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Animal death, Ableism, Biphobia, and Miscarriage

fionac326's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Racism, and Child death

tina94's review

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Every trigger warning you could possibly imagine applies, oof

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Toxic relationship, Torture, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Gore, Death, Child abuse, and Animal cruelty