Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

37 reviews

beth_simmons's review against another edition

challenging dark informative 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

4.5

I found this book fascinating and challenging, intense and disturbing. I couldn't put it down, but I often wanted to. This one will stick with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit and Deportation

jenniferbowman's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Minor: Cancer and Cursing

amateur_bookworm's review against another edition

informative inspiring 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? No

4.5

My summary:

Cartel violence shatters Lydia’s serene life in Acapulco when her entire family is massacred at her niece’s quinceañera, leaving only her and her eight year old son, Luca, as survivors. Lydia’s husband, Sebastián, was a journalist covering the cartels in their state. And Lydia had unwittingly befriended a customer, Javier, in her bookstore who turned out to be the cartel leader. Sebastián just recently published an exposé of Javier being the head of the cartel. And now, in the wake of this tragedy, Lydia and Luca must leave everything behind and flee towards the US, the only place Lydia feels they may be safe from Javier’s reach. 

My thoughts: 

The horrific opening scene pulled me so deeply and immediately into this story. This book is tragic and heartbreaking and I was riddled with anxiety the entire time for Lydia and Luca, as well as the girls they meet along the way. 

This was tough to read but also I could hardly put it down. It felt a bit like driving past a terrible car accident when you can’t help but stare at it. 

This is not a light-hearted or feel-good story, but I was completely engrossed despite the macabre theme. It’s very insightful and there is a bit of hope woven through the tragedy. It’s a tough topic and it’s handled well. It really makes me more empathic to people fleeing the only lives they’ve ever known for a chance at a safer and better place. 

Mostly, this book makes me really thankful to have the privilege of having been born in the US and lived here my entire life. As much as this country has become somewhat of a disgrace to me recently, this book is a pretty stark reminder that it’s still one of the safest countries in the world to live in. I definitely have a deeper appreciation of the struggle that migrants endure on their journey, knowing the odds are stacked against them to simply set foot on the soil in this country that I definitely take for granted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Classism, and Deportation

ngoodenb's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Violence, Trafficking, Stalking, and War

bvanness428's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, and Deportation

soph_mills's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

beetandbaguette's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

beccalora's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Deportation

Minor: Rape

kiwialexa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

texashippie's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Deportation