Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Lost Boy by Christina Henry

34 reviews

lilredhead's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

After I finished the book I needed a bit of time to reflect. Lost boy was the first book I read by Christina Henry, and I picked it up because I read some other fairy tale retellings and was curious about this one. I went in completely blind. 
This book has blown me away, I honestly feel like this book would "downgrade" all the other books I rated because to me, nothing I read so far compared to it. 
Let's just say, I am Hooked 😉
The story has great buildup, it is written as if Jamie retells the events, so immediately it has a bit of a somber vibe to it, but nothing too drastic. The start of the story really feels like a boy who starts to realize certain things with the mind of a boy. Throughout the story, however, this boy-mind slowly grows into the mind and thoughts of a man that has seen a lot. 
The story is also more gruesome than I anticipated, although it's not written to be graphic persay, all the gruesome parts have a quick follow-up of bittersweet feelings. There's quite a few characters and I developed a deep love for all of them (except you, Peter). Reading how they navigated their life on Neverland, the relationships they had, and the things they lost, really hit home.
I finished this book so fast (for me) but still had to put it down a few times to process the things that happened 😅
Jamie is a wonderful character to follow and in some ways I really related to him. 
He did not deserve what happened to him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Death of parent

rajanl002's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Domestic abuse

kenziekat's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

peeshpish's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

priscillarobock's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

unicornofblue's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Rape

bcsylve's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

gabography's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

If Peter Pan has a million haters, I'm one of them. If he has one hater, it's me. If he has 0 haters, I have died. If the world is against Peter Pan, I am with the world. If the world is for Peter Pan, I am against the world.

Okay, that aside this was an incredibly gripping read. I would have finished in a day if it weren't for obligations.  So many things in this story just make sense if you're familiar in any way with the Peter Pan story. There's something so odd about him and Neverland that's just written off as magic and childish whimsy, but thinking about it too hard makes ol' P.P. a bit of a creepy figure who is more in the wrong than people may think. Even before reading this book I'd wondered as a child what exactly did Hook do that was so bad to earn Peter's constant torment and pestering beyond being annoyed with the little bastard who refuses to mature or be responsibility. Hook is one of those childhood antagonists that doesn't really feel like one if the only lense looked at him with is "well, he spoils the fun of children" because... so? and?
The author painted such a tragic image of the boy who would captain the Jolly Roger that it is impossible not to join Team Hook-Did-Nothing-Wrong before it's done. Literally everything that's led him to the point of becoming Hook was casued by Peter's  meddling and you'd have to be on something to even try to convince me that he shouldn't give that "kid" what he deserves. I also feel like I am never going to look at the more cheerful depictions of Peter and his Lost Boys the same way after this book

revealed that the children brought to Neverland from the "Other Place" are all but sows being saved for slaughter, so the blood spilled through Peter's games are what keep the island teaming with magic and Peter young, all-knowing, and immortal

. That went beyond the "Lord of the Flies" vibe that is very present and true, so it's going to stay with me for a little bit.
While some retellings of childhood stories can edge too close to "look at how edgy everything is oooooh", Henry truly Told A Story with sympathetic characters you root and feel for, believable dangers and stakes, and an ending that is both understandably bleak and still hopeful for the day, somewhere, somehow, Peter finally stops getting his way. If only for there to finally be justice for everything he's caused in the name of fun.

Edit: f it. changing my 4.75 to a 5 because this book really grabbed me. No notes on the writing (Henry did great) or any characters beyond the antagonist getting on my nerves, so yeah. A perfect book if you know what you're looking for and what you're getting into.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore and Fire/Fire injury

strawbeb's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This book was simultaneously NOT what I thought it'd be, and EXACTLY what I thought it'd be. As soon as I heard the premise and saw a few snippets, I was "hooked". And while I did have a fantastic time, maybe I set the bar too high?

Christina Henry is an addictive writer. Whether I was in love with what I was reading, or if I felt it was lacking, regardless I always turned the page. And I ended up finishing the entire book in two days (would've been one, but it arrived in the mail late in the evening.)

On "one hand", Lost Boy accomplishes exactly what it promises. It's a dark twisted version of the original tale. Heroes are the villains, and villains are the heroes. There is A LOT of death, blood, violence, psychological abuse, and then some. And none of it feels gratuitous. There's always a narrative purpose for the dark deeds that are done. Christina Henry writes "darkness" excellently.

Alongside this, the plot is intense and keeps you engaged.

One of the most compelling elements is that you know Jamie/Hook and Peter will survive at the end. They must or else there'd be no story. Because you know this, and you know Henry knows this, the curious and shocking ways she writes the "in between" is made all the more impactful. There are fates worse than death.

On the "other hook", there were flaws I noticed. For one, while Jamie is an endearing character that you can't help but root for, at times he felt a bit like a Gary Stu. Perfect and amazing at everything, with everyone looking up to him all the time, and complimenting him at practically every turn.

There's even a surprise female character, and of course her and Jamie have a romance. Because Jamie has both brains, brawn, and now "the girl".

The pacing also felt disjointed at times. Peter wastes nearly five (5) ENTIRE pages going on about a story about a crocodile. I did understand the significance of the tale, but I truly doubt it needed that many pages and details to get across. This was the worst time the pacing felt terribly slow.

But towards the later half of the story, a vital character suddenly switches sides. It's incredibly abrupt and feels like it comes out of nowhere. And then, barely even 3 pages later, the character returns back to their original side again. It felt like this might've been a scene Henry brainstormed early into production, then got further into writing only to realize she couldn't fit it in, but out of sheer determination, crammed the scene into the plot anyways.

All in all, the book definitely has flaws and is far from perfect. But what it does well, it does really well and it will keep you on the edge of your seat regardless of what chapter you're on. Flaws aside, I do wish Christina Henry would return to this world and these characters again. For a sequel sounds like it would be a wonderfully grand adventure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Terminal illness, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and War

Warning to readers that have arachnophobia.

There are creatures in the book that are basically Giant Sp*ders. The descriptions of them are disgusting. They aren't focused on TOO heavily, but they do get time in the spotlight throughout the book.

Several mentions, but fortunately only two major encounters.

annuminas's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-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

4.5

I thoroughly enjoyed it, it is really well written. It is really striking and makes you want to keep reading.
The relationships and dynamics between the characters are fantastic

(though I was not sold on how the one between Jamie and Sal developed)

.
It truly is a book that sticks with you.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail