Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

46 reviews

alyh1215's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? No

5.0

This was a wonderfully woven story. It's not a happy one, but that's okay. It's one of those books that makes you feel raw at the end. And I like that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Terminal illness

mitchell_1's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

nadiacrystal's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment

heypretty52's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Death of parent

Minor: Physical abuse and Sexual content

kshertz's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This offer has an amazing way with words in a way that just challenges me and helps me to see the world in a different way. The incorporation of magical realism is just so intentional and the themes that surround so deep I absolutely love this author and the way that they really make a point in a way that is not straightforward and direct but creeps up on you that you think about for days afterwards. It’s definitely worth a read for this short Novella.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

ariana3's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Blood, and Murder

itsemmaofc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

pagesofkenzie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment

howlinglibraries's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

 

"Love is the path of least resistance, you see? It’s a lot more work to cause harm to someone who mistrusts you, or fears you. Or hates you. Love opens the city gates wide, and allows all manner of horrors right inside."

I don't read a lot of speculative fiction, so this took me a little bit to get into, and at first, I wasn't sure if I was enjoying it at all. Who was this crane, and why was the main character's mother taking him as a lover? Was this normal in this lightly dystopian setting? Did everyone take birds for mates, and why was this crane so particularly cruel?

As the story unraveled, though, I found myself drawn into it so intensely I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was interrupted at the 85% mark of the audiobook and couldn't get back to it soon enough because I had to know how it would end! And gradually, I realized that this wasn't a story that was supposed to make perfect sense, because it isn't a story about the crane. It's a story about generational trauma, and cycles of abuse, and the things that people — especially women — will tolerate in the name of love.

I enjoyed this so much. I can't wait to read more from this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition

emotional sad tense 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

brutal yet beautiful book! I expected to like it based on how much I loved When Women Were Dragons, and did! Barnhill’s prose is so … something! emotive, throbbing, evocative. I felt so dearly for our main character, and felt so acutely the struggle of her family over generations. 

this book was deeply sad and is not very hopeful, but it is powerful and does not devolve into hopelessness or despair for despairs sake. it just is, you feel and sit in those feelings. 

idk much like most of my 5-stars, I can’t really articulate exactly what I liked. Just know that I liked it immensely 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism and Terminal illness