Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

15 reviews

rebelbooks101's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-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

4.0

TW: emotional and physical abuse, and infertility 

This book follows Ruby who’s been taken by social services to live with her sister and her husband after her mom has abandoned her.

For the most part, I really liked this book. I can’t tell if it’s me feeling burnt out on Sarah Dessen or the reading slump that made this book feel really long to get through. 

I really enjoyed the plot and I loved seeing the growth of the protagonist throughout the story. I loved how she started to embrace the loving family she had with her sister and Jamie. I really enjoyed the individual dynamics that they had with her. I also loved the friendship she started to develop with one of her classmates as well.

While I really enjoyed the first half, the second half is where it fell a little flat for me. While I understand the ending, I can’t say it was necessarily how I wanted the story to wrap up. It definitely had both good and bad to it.

Something that fell a little flat with that was the romance between Nate and Ruby. Nate was someone I really loved as a character so I was looking forward to seeing him and Ruby getting together but instead of being this thing that left the reader satisfied, it just sort of happened. 

Overall, this was a pretty enjoyable read that I’m glad to have read but the second half kind of left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

amandakaycurry's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Abandonment

johns6ka's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse and Classism

elyssam's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

Classic Sarah Dessen, can’t really complain. There were some dated terms, but the story wasn’t too bad for being 14 years old. 
Ruby works to find a definition of family as both an assignment from school and as a way to accept her own new life. 
I listened to the audiobook so it was more or less a simple read for me. So,e dark elements but overall hopeful. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, and Drug abuse

ladygoodgreen's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Abandonment

Minor: Alcohol and Drug use

spoopywife's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infertility and Child abuse

shaziareads's review against another edition

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Infertility

Minor: Drug use

madflatt's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility

kyleethecatlady's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Child abuse

tswanson103's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

My first read of this book, I wasn’t thst impressed. But upon reread, this book does exactly what Dessen is best known for. Ruby learns how to have healthy relationships with the people around her, and how to accept help and support. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Child abuse