Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Change by Kirsten Miller

30 reviews

samuriah's review

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

qgg's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Dark feminine rage in defiance of individual and systemic injustice against women and girls. It’s sure to make most male readers too uncomfortable to bother even though it’s a story that needs to be heard. I have two small complaints. 1. There are twists in the story, but I anticipated nearly all of them. And 2. The female characters were layered, but they still weren’t fully three dimensional women. Because they were archetypes, the women weren’t allowed to stray from their categories. I don’t know a single woman who stays in her category. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Child death

lizgo's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Child death, Murder, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, and Trafficking

cc_shelflove's review

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

He’d fucked with the wrong female, and he’d think twice before he messed with a woman again.

This book was sooooooooo good. Its numerous pages (almost 500! 🥵) included elements of several different genres, and I did not find myself bored even once! Three women unexpectedly become friends and discover that menopause has lovingly provided them each with special powers: intuition 🔮, advantageous rage 🔥, and a knack for all things green 🌿. When their powers guide them to a lone trash bag, tied with a fancy bow and containing the body of a young girl, the women begin to investigate… and they will stop at nothing to find who is responsible. Miller gracefully tackled sexual harassment and abuse, shitty menstruation cycles, and chauvinism, to name a few topics. Even though I guessed one of the big twists near the end of the book, I was STILL blown away. Now that’s some good writing. I’m very curious to see how the television series will come together. I will be recommending this book to all of the strong women in my life!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, and Child death

Minor: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Drug use

lilifane's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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

I loved this! 
This was a lot more fun than I expected it would be, although there are some dark and difficult topics as well. Since I still don't read book descriptions, I didn't know what this would be about and was completely surprised. 
I knew it was a female rage book, but I had no idea about the plot or themes. So this centers around 3 middle-aged women at the beginning of their menopause who discover a dead girl at the beach as well as some supernatural powers within themselves. With these powers, they try to solve the murder that no one else seems to take seriously and generally help out other women and take revenge on men, basically. 
I did not expect a murder mystery to be part of the story and since I love those, I was pleasantly surprised. Thought, the mystery is kind of in the background of the plot for most of the time and is more of a plot device. I think it was rather predictable too, but I didn't mind because I cared more about the characters, themes and messages of the book. 
I loooooved the characters. Not only the 3 protagonists but also their families and their dynamics. The way they talked to each other, to their daughters, to anyone around them really. The way they just stopped giving a f*** and took control over their lives. Amazing. 
The plot was often interrupted by background stories of the women involved which showed how they were wronged by men in their lives one way or another. Usually these kinds of tangents would make me impatient or bring me out of a book completely, but I was enjoying the whole experience way too much here and couldn't put the book down. The misogynistic microaggressions also made me SO angry, because they felt so real. And it might feel like a lot or even extreme, but is it though? The way feminist themes are portrayed here is very on the nose, but it's also refreshing how unapologetic and direct they are handled. 
I'm a peaceful person and I believe in peaceful solutions. But I get there are situations where peaceful doesn't accomplish anything. And it felt so good and cathartic to see these women reclaiming their power and taking revenge in such a satisfying way.
Loved the writing, loved witchy vibes, loved the humor. And the audiobook is excellent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Classism, Sexism, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Infidelity, Rape, Confinement, Car accident, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, and Body shaming

lorahkay's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

This book wants to be a feminist thriller but it often misses the mark. It’s clear the author has not confronted her own implicit beauty and size biases… so, while attempting to invoke post-menopausal bad-assery from her main characters, it’s frequently complicated by her seemingly subconscious devaluation of other women at the same time (e.g. one woman was making “bad” food choices; the same woman, abused and bulimic, would be “pretty again” if she addressed her “grey skin” and “thinning hair”; main characters are **worthy** because they work out and keep their bodies fit, and on and on the list goes quietly criticizing the woman in the background). The plot is mildly interesting but also seems to miss the mark. The ending was obvious from miles away. This book fell flat and kinda pissed me off, tbh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Trafficking, Murder, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Misogyny, Police brutality, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Classism, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, and Fatphobia

Minor: Eating disorder

kmark's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Eating disorder, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Murder, and Kidnapping

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I was very confused about the time line in this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Pedophilia, Rape, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Classism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Vomit, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

First read of 2023 started off with a bang! I absolutely adored this feminist, witchy read. With multiple POVs, but mostly focused on Nessa, Harriet & Jo, I loved to hear their life experiences and yow they got to where they are now. The strength, power and pursuit of justice, a world where all women and girls can be safe  was so beautifully crafted and inspiring, I just I did not want to put this book down. Plus, January LaVoy was incredible as a narrator. She has such a talent for distinguishing voices for each character in a way that is so immersive—my favourite narrator to date! I can’t recommend this magical realism revenge thriller enough & I really hope a sequel is in the works. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Classism, Suicide, Rape, Misogyny, Trafficking, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Car accident, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Murder

Minor: Death of parent

I

liblady0308's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

Loved this book - I’m surging with primal energy, raw power and rage. The trio and how the story unfolded kept me eager to know what happens next. I’d love a continuation of these characters. My only complaint was that

Spoiler

all the bad-person deaths were fairly satisfying, but the one “orchestrator” one was super anticlimactic for me. Like really, Jyo just lights a few things on fire? All that power they showed she had the potential for and she didn’t really use it? And Harriet just watched? Boo. I wanted something more gruesome and symbolic, like the other deaths.

. But overall I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Stalking