Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

38 reviews

lmjones's review against another edition

I got about half way. It took me a minute to get interested in the story from the get-go, so I actually started watching the mini-series to see if it would spark more interest or if the story just wasn't going to be my jam. It did spark interest. I like seeing the difference between the original novel and the adaptation, but in the end, finishing the mini-series (I don't care about spoilers, so this wasn't a big deal to me) cemented my decision to not finish the book. I loved aspects of it - obsessed with the portrayal of an artist at work that actually felt based in reality, good character development, excellent writing - but overall, I felt like it was just going to be too depressing to finish with multiple messed up mother-daughter relationships, so much self-righteousness, and without much hope of redemption or repair. The book does touch on motherhood being difficult and the way traumatic events related to motherhood can effect the future relationships with the children involved in that trauma. I would say that's what the story ends up being about. But I personally appreciate a little more merciful writing for all the women trying to be mothers and messing it up along the way. I craved reconciliation for Elena and her children, and even between MayLing's biological mother and her adoptive parents (which by the way, this story feels pretty insensitive to the adoptive parent community.) It just seemed like there was no hope for moving forward. Not my kind of fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Abandonment

koobone's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Xenophobia, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

vaykay's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing and Abortion

Minor: Cancer and Racial slurs

sunflower7skull's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

Beautiful book. I really enjoyed analyzing it and I definitely would look into more books by Celeste Ng in the future!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

thesecretsapphic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

sizzlesteaks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

madisonkane321's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

schlady's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

A well written and thought provoking story that explores topics of privilege, race, family, and motherhood. The setting was strikingly accurate even in its littlest details, myself having grown up around the same real places in the Cleveland area. The various characters and their stories are interesting & compelling while still easy to keep track of, written in a seemingly effortless way while taking a few unexpected turns. The ending wrapped up a tad too quickly for me, but overall another great book by Ng that I just couldn't put down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Infertility, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Grief, Abortion, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury

lectricefeministe's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Classism

mjreadings's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism