Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

39 reviews

canascorner's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• 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, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

nporter5's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

i cannot rate this book because it’s the most disturbing thing i’ve ever read, but at the same time, so so so moving. I was SOBBBBBBBBING

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, and Forced institutionalization

kirstyyreadsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

jamiee_f's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

4.5

What a dark and tragic, yet riveting, book.

The titular Noah reveals to his parents that he molested some of the girls in the swim class he teaches. His parents try to do the right thing and reveal the truth to the parents of the girls, and it kicks off a firestorm. Noah ends up sentenced to a period of time in a juvenile facility. His mother fights for him, she believes in him, to the detriment of all other relationships. The book is told in alternating perspectives, from the current timeline where Adrianne (the mother) is dealing with the fallout of this situation and trying to do the right thing for her family, and flashbacks/journal entries from a boy in the juvenile rehab facility. It is brutal to read what happens in the facility, and you end up feeling so bad for the boy with uncontrollable urges who wants to control them.

Over the course of the book, you learn more about Noah. He is a model citizen in rehab, but he has no real reason for why he did what he did. Ultimately it's revealed that unlike some of the other boys who acted out of violence, misplaced anger, a desire to control or subjugate....Noah's motivation seems to be purely sexual, meaning that he is a 'true' pedophile. Noah realizes this about himself, realizes he cannot escape his past, and asks for his mothers help in killing himself.  Ultimately she does help him die.

The other twist is that the flashbacks to the facility were actually from Noah's FATHER. He is also a pedophile and went through the same thing as Noah, which makes his total rejection of his son all the more heartbreaking. There is also an implication that the father starts abusing the little sister, after being triggered by Noah's ordeal.

Overall an intense read that delves into teenage sexual offenders, family trauma, and a parent's love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt

maeregin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I sobbed so hard at the end of this and I’m definitely not the type. You start to feel one way but you’re conflicted and start questioning yourself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt

cbressler80's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

I mean wow…. I started this book feeling one way and ended it feeling another way.  It’s a hard read especially if you are a mom.  But it truly answers the question of how far a person would go for TRUE love.  That twist at the end.? Never saw that coming.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

allthingstajah's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

tessalort's review against another edition

emotional informative sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

meeklovestoread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I can understand based on the contents of this book and what it tackles why someone would rate this poorly. I kind of went in blind (I didn't know much about what the book was about); I just read it on a whim. I think the author did a good job of handling the sensitivity of the topic without making it seem like she was romanticizing the perpetrator. I found myself feeling sympathy for both parties (more so the girls). I'm not going to lie getting insight into Noah's feelings about children did make me grimace and angry, but I couldn't help but have a tad bit of sympathy for him because no one hates himself more than Noah does. Also, at first, I understood where the mom was coming from, she just wanted to protect her son, but I really don't think she understood the severity of what her son had done which is why I completely understand why some would find her annoying (the dad was no better in my opinion). The ending and what happens still leaves me conflicted. 

I don't condone the mom helping her son die (in the eyes of the law, that's 1st-degree murder), however, I completely get what she did it. Mercy killings (I think that's what they're called) are very complicated to me when faced with those scenarios. It really shows you how everything isn't so black and white.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Vomit, and Medical content

Minor: Murder, Outing, and Abandonment

rebeccakoury's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

3.5

This book is extremely complicated and I don't know how to feel. Check your trigger warnings before even opening this book up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail