Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

16 reviews

emcat591's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book was not at all what I thought it was, but that wasn't a bad thing. I feel like it could have been titled "Experience the Horrors of Being a Woman in Historical China - Now in High Definition." There is very little positivity in this book. It's quite sad. Please know that going in. I know it's not my right to judge another culture, but there is so much abuse in this book. Some of it was hard to stomach, particularly the footbinding and the domestic abuse later on. It's true that the book is about women navigating through the hardships of their society, but the suffering that the characters go through is so tremendous that to put it that way feels like a euphemism.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage

therecoveringbookworm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Drug abuse

phantomgecko's review against another edition

emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0

Intriguing historical fiction. Depictions of the customs of the time are fascinating. Foot binding, marriage tradition, family structure.

Kind of reminded me of Atonement by Ian McEwan. Y'know, protagonist makes a mistake to the detriment of a loved one that haunts them the rest of their life. This affected me more emotionally, but that's due to any number of circumstances.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

cait's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mtnest's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide, Excrement, Death of parent, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

withloveandlights's review against another edition

informative sad slow-paced

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

2.0

I was really captivated by the story during the Milk Days: learning about the restrictions Lily faced bwing a young girl, saddened by the hardships Lily faced, discovering Lily's laotong and how their relationship would shape each of their futures.

Unfortunately, I began to lose interest during the Hair Pining Days and then I was left wanting during the Rice and Salt Days. The main conflict that would arise between Lily and Snow Flower seemed evident from very early on in the Milk Days. I also didn't enjoy how family betrayals seemed to come across as superficial when, I would assume and as it is referenced within the novel, back in that time of history betrayal could shape the course of someone's or an entire generation's future. 

The Milk Days early in the book are really what drew me into the novel and for the large amount of time dedicated to the remaining sections, it ultimately left me feeling like the pace of the book was dragging on and when it had so much early potential. Still a beautiful and harrowing historical fiction, that leans more historical.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Death

mereileen's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Violence

strawbibble's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad 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: Ableism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Classism

mergwenthur's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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

4.5

where do i even begin with this review! i loved this book, it was so beautifully well written. 

i read the journey of lily through her childhood to her old age and viewed her relationship with snow flower and how both of them developed individually and as same-olds. 

set in mid-1800s i read as lily and snow flower dealt with things such as footbindings, tragedies, love, death, marriage and children. 

cultural and society traditions were adapted and the challenges lily and snow flower went through were eye opening. 

it was a beautiful yet tragic story which leaves you with so many emotions

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War, and Classism

thejediwitch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

This book is intense. It took me a whole day to finish but it was very worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness