Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

19 reviews

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

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. 

Spoiler

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

Moderate: Vomit, Confinement, Cursing, and Medical content

Minor: Murder, Abandonment, and Outing

haaalien's review against another edition

5.0

Please read trigger warnings and full synopsis before reading ⚠️⚠️⚠️

This book was so different from anything I've ever read. The reason I'm giving it 5 stars even though it was a hard read is because the author did an amazing job at making me feel things towards the perpetrator that I didn't think were possible. It was so confusing to think one way, but feel another. The chapter before the epilogue made me jaw drop, I didn't see it coming at any point of this book which is always nice. Overall I'm super impressed with the author, I can't wait to check more of their books out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

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

lgstanfield's review against another edition

4.0

This was HARD but it was so good. This has all the triggers in it. So LOOK THEM ALL UP BEFORE READING. TW: suicide-attempted and completion, pedophilia, sexual assault

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Vomit, Suicide, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

corywbowers's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Sexual harassment, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Child death, Vomit, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Mental illness, Incest, Bullying, and Child abuse

_mjreads_'s review against another edition

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Suicide, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

lhardy1214's review against another edition

3.75

Heavy read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Grief, Abandonment, Blood, and Death

julsi's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

0.5

I have not disliked a book like this in a long time.  Is it affecting? yes.  I can't stop fuming about it. I just hate the framing and the conclusions and I genuinely do not understand its purpose.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, and Bullying

Spoiler

The basic premise of the story is 'perfect' son admits to acting on a sexual attraction to children and is charged & sent to treatment, with mother and family trying to deal with situation. The conclusion is mother ends up agreeing to assist her son in killing himself which is framed as a difficult but noble decision (even as she plans to avoid arrest by making it out to be suicide & somewhere in there the father has never revealed that he had similar problems - in the past? but got over it? I suspect they were trying for a 'its genetic' point but it somehow made the 'this is a mental illness & there is no treatment & look at how society responds'..so euthanasia is the only solution- even more confusing and unsettling) I genuinely do not understand what this story is trying to do other than flattening a complex and provoking topic into a very base 'well, killing pedophiles is the only option. In fact its a kindness.' with an added 'god understands'. I know this is a controversial topic & I have my own personal difficulties with the subject but turns out; I find this a highly disturbing take & genuinely wish I'd never read this book.

angelafeng's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Rape, and Sexual assault