Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

80 reviews

kimmberr's review against another edition

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

4.75

this book is about a 16 year old girl who has never been taught how to stay. she travels alone, unable to stay in one place because her flaws are too much for others…so she thinks. it’s heart wrenching and heart warming and very well might make you tear up by the end

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

hellokaley's review against another edition

hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

A coming-of-age story that I think was a little too young for me personally. I’m not huge on the YA genre in general, so I’ll completely chalk this up to personal preference. 

I liked certain parts of April’s journey and although there were some quite problematic storylines, she was really just a 16-year old girl who had overcome quite difficult circumstances including abandonment from her parents.

I enjoyed the found family theme and felt the end was very sweet. And as always, Julia Whelan did a wonderful job with the audiobook narration.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy

mamadeb615's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved this book!  I think it was a BookTok recommendation, but honestly don’t remember.  It moves along at a good pace and has a wide range of mostly likeable characters.  It’s very well written and moves at a good pace. Every time I took a break from it, I couldn’t wait to go back and find out what happened next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Terminal illness

bertrandlm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer, Dementia, and Car accident

arayo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Homophobia, Vomit, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

laur_astor's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? Yes

5.0

My second time reading this book didn’t disappoint and the audiobook is very good.

As someone who has lived in Ithaca, this book perfectly encapsulates its magic. As April says, “And snow feels nicer in Ithaca. I don’t know why. Everything is nicer there.” And as Adam says, “It's a hard place to leave… the world doesn't seem as right anyplace else.”

Some things I noticed during my reread: *mild spoilers ahead* Carly is pretty cold when April meets her, which makes their friendship even more wholesome since they really needed each other. I forgot how much I enjoyed Bodie, too. Also, you can feel April’s slight uneasiness in the chapters about Justin. Even though April does love him, there’s a comfort in other people who she meets that I just couldn’t feel when she’s with Justin. He just doesn’t understand her like Carly, Margo, and Ethan. Ugh ETHAN! His proclamation of how much he loves her at the end is the best. And I just love how their relationship is purely platonic.

This won’t be the last time I revisit this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Medical content

snschumm's review against another edition

emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Sexual assault

snipinfool's review

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

Sixteen-year-old April Sawicki learned she had to look out for herself. Her father left her to go live with his girlfriend and their new baby. She had been alone in a motorless motorhome for some time. April was failing school and often cut classes or missed altogether to pick up shifts at the local diner, Margo’s. Margo was like a mother to her since her mother left when April was young. April’s prized possession was the guitar her father gave her on her last birthday. She spent as much time as she could writing songs and creating music. April decided to try singing at a local open mic night at the Blue Moon Café. She sang her heart out and the crowd loved her songs. After a fight with her father, April felt it was time to leave and find her own way. Her father had broken her guitar during the fight, but she hoped she could find a way to use her talent to make a living. The story followed April as she found friends who became family, found the courage and strength to forge her way alone, and found a life she never imagined.

This was such an interesting story. One could not help but feel for April. Her childhood was difficult. I could not imagine striking out alone at sixteen, but she kept going to get the life she wanted. Along the way, she met people who taught her to love and others who reminded her to be distrustful. I loved that she remained in contact with Margo. Margo was such a wonderful character. Even though April didn’t stay in one place very long before she moved on again, each person she connected with left a little piece behind in her. I loved meeting April and reading her story.

Content warning: April’s father was emotionally and physically abusive. April was also sexually assaulted while out on the road as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

freedo8quigly's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

2.75

This MC sucks. I understand she is the product of trauma, but after she

sleeps with Adam at the ripe old age of 16

there was very little she could do to redeem herself. I was really hoping for a redemption arc, but never got it.

I also thought she was going to abort the baby.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Physical abuse

rachrreads's review against another edition

I really enjoyed the writing but I am incredibly bored at this point. No idea where this story is heading and I don’t really care unfortunately. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Abandonment