Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

9 reviews

theothergrl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book does a wonderful job of showing us how patriarchy harms both women and men. It's a retelling of Achilles' story of the Battle of Troy from the perspective of his bed slave, Briseis. Their horrific and very sad relationship is explored earnestly. It's not a story about love, it's about two people pushed into bed and how they grieve immense loss not together but side-by-side. In different ways they are both denied the ability to process these emotions. They both grapple with their anger at the wasteful and pointless reasons for their loss. The loneliness and pain they both experience come from two hands of the same body, patriarchy. I think the way this is shown so paralleled throughout story, not in comparison to one another, is what makes this such brilliant feminist literature.

And, of course considering everything else, this book is a wonderful example of how we can tell stories with even the extremes of sexual violence, and tell them well without gratuitousness nor overly graphic. I did not once feel that there was no need for a particular sex/rape scene, when they were there, it added to the story. 

The 3 main characters in this book are loveable (and 2 very much despiseable) in a very complicated and heart wrenching way. But you'll definately enjoy spending time with them and hearing their story, I would 100% recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Alcohol, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, and Abandonment

Minor: Child death, Infertility, Vomit, and Pregnancy

annasbookreviews's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

amphytrite's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Fire/Fire injury

Content warning: plague, rats

gracewiley's review against another edition

reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

nialiversuch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, and Pregnancy

emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Minor: Cannibalism

kirareads02's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

This book was a masterpiece. It was close to a five star if it wasn't for that secondary voice that has no name. That has just bothered me. <Spoiler> In my mind it is the voice  of the Gods <Spoiler>. This is beautifully told by the women of the story and is a completely new view on a war story. It was heartbreaking and beautiful. It deals with all the complexity complexity womanhood, female friendships, bodily autonomy and consequences of war. I love how the narrator kept saying it wasn't her story she was just a part of it because this is a prominent issue of women always being a passive character in the story of a man and this is the only story I have ever found that acknowledges this.

I could write so much about this book and perhaps I will come back to this review and add more when I think of it. I am very excited to read the second book. I can't think where it would be picked up so I can't wait. 

<Spoiler> Also, was there a little shade thrown on that last page about making this story a love story? <Spoiler>

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing and Pregnancy

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

thecityofstarlight's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I have to admit, when I first started reading this, it was hard for me to get into it. Chapter after chapter, everything seemed so bleak and repetitive, but once the complexities and the actual plot was introduced, I couldn’t put it down. I felt that this book was unique and very thought provoking… I will never look at the Iliad the same! 
Just a quick note: there are a lot of triggering and disturbing elements throughout the book, so make sure you do your research before reading!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Trafficking

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Vomit

radfordmanor's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Incest and Alcohol