Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

21 reviews

alexklinect's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

3.5

3.5 stars rounded up… An important story that needs to be told! Dual timeline: the historical storyline was heartbreaking, but the present-day storyline was pretty predictable. Some key plot elements were wrapped up too quickly at the end.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Dementia

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

angievansprang's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.75

This book does a great job with story telling and making the characters come alive off the pages. It was an incredibly sad read, especially due to the aspects of the book that are not fictional. Knowing that these things really happened to live children for years, unchecked, is a horrible thought. I’m glad this book is out there and was even able to bring clarity to some survivors.

The parts I did not love were how the author & the characters spoke about most of the Black characters. I understand that much of this book was set in 1930s Tennessee, but I found certain descriptors unnecessary and racist.

Fuck Georgia Tann and her conspirators, may they forever rot in hell!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Dementia, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Death of parent

nikkilerae'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

kitten_nuisance's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

1.5

I was primarily interested in the historical timeline of this book, so I guess I should have read something nonfiction on the subject instead. I did enjoy parts of this, but it was also a bit circuitous in ways? 

The modern timeline was not enjoyable, like a Southern version of a Debbie Macomber book. It’s a feat to bore me with a plot about someone trying to find out secrets that I’m already invested in!

I have to sadly say that both of these were drowned out to me by a chorus of conservative, even racist, dogwhistles. Everything an author includes in a book is a choice. Confederate roses are a choice. A character in modern day using an old, *moved* slave cabin as a workshop is a choice. Saying that your sister is glaring at you and looks like a Chinaman doing laundry is a choice. It appears that a lot of readers are fine with these choices. I will be choosing to be more cautious with my White Woman Fiction reading selections in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Infertility

Adoption/adoption coercion

lisaann23's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? No

5.0

When a book stays with you, you know it is well written. I thought about the characters (and missed them) long after the book ended. It is a heavy subject, but still has much hope within it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Death of parent

sarah_amy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book both had and broke my heart. I cared so much about Rill/May, her siblings and all the other children, and Avery's investigation among it all. I went in completely blind with this book, so was floored to know this is based on real events and that Georgia Tann was the person behind all the horror. I was less interested in the political side of it all and the romance felt a bit forced (not a bad match, just unnecessary). It would have been a 5 star on the investigation and flashbacks to Rill/May's past alone, but the politics/romance almost felt like I was being interrupted by a side story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Based on the child trafficking/illegal adoption agency of Georgia Tann. Lots of details of abuse and allusions to death that went on in the foster homes involved. Many of these children were adopted out illegally and without the consent of the birth parents - some were outright stolen like in this story.

jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

zumpers's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Grief

jacquibear's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Dementia, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

chelle22's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment