Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

318 reviews

jackiepaigecat's review against another edition

adventurous

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

laffi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is by far the best book I have ever read.
And even if it wasn't, there was a

black kitten called Ocean

that would still make me love this book.
I have no words to describe how much this resonated with me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Gore, Infidelity, Violence, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, and Excrement

lauramcc7's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Violence

common_nonsense's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, and Infidelity

orizenda's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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? No

4.0

This was such an interesting read, and it was really fun listening to it read by Gaiman. That felt special to me. I did get kind of bored in the middle, but I find that happening fairly often lately, so it may very well be a me problem. Anyway, the Hempstocks are very interesting and I love a story where it’s left somewhat ambiguous as to whether or not things are being told as they really happened or just how the narrator saw them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Infidelity

spookfish's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

It's always difficult to review horror, as I have to separate my physical feelings of discomfort with what I think objectively about it.
Found myself asking "why?" a lot of the time, without answer from Gaiman. There are parts of this book where it doesn't feel sure of where it is trying to head itself. It makes sense knowing this was supposed to be a short story that was extended into a novel. Not a bad book by all means, just... lacking something for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, and Blood

keelymightread's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.75

Such an eerie yet beautiful book that reminded me of the innocence of childhood. The curiosity felt as the story progressed was artfully done. Such a unique story, magical realism is an unmatched genre. The whimsical mystery is a perfect feeling I got from the novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Torture

Moderate: Bullying, Suicide, and Abandonment

readermann's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Violence

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Blood

sambiina's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, and Suicide

Minor: Animal death

gracealicia's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

This was a fairytale-esque story following a young boy who meets and gets caught up with magical forces bigger them him. I really liked him, a very older than his years boy who accepts the bigger world around him. The magic was a soft system that hinted at much. The only downside I felt was the depiction of Ursula who at times I felt was more sexualised than necessary. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Infidelity