Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

11 reviews

ksamaine95's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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

4.0

I signed up for Psychological thriller.. this was giving horror. 

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I give this rating because I can’t imagine how hard it was to write about something so controversial, triggering, and nuanced. This is how you use your pen to inform, confront and create space for difficult real life topics. not demonized, not romanticized. 

I would not say this made me question my morals or force me to “see both sides”. It did shine a light on the harsh extremes we put on delicate and devastating situations. 

As a story by itself I would give
2 ⭐️⭐️

I found the characters deeply irritating. I think the mother and father had to be rigid in their roles and stances for this to work. As someone as in the mental health field, I wasn’t triggered by the content as much as I was internally at war with my professional brains and my human/gut reactions to the characters & their responses. 

I spent the last three chapters repeating “girl — hell no!” I think the twist was necessary.  I called it early but felt maybe that would be too obvious.  I’m glad it was not what I was bracing myself for. 


I’ll probably sit with this one for a bit before reading more by Dr. LB. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

k8lynn's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-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

5.0

this is the most difficult book i have ever read. i cried so hard. but it really opens up questions in your mind you never thought you'd ask.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

aleen_elizabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

crazybooklady89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

5.0

5 stars because this book broke me. It is not often that a book brings me to actual tears, but this one certainly did. I could feel Adrianne’s pain…so raw and deep and moving. So many trigger warnings for this one, so please read with caution. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

chrissylue's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

There wasn’t a lot of back story before you are in the thick of it. You go through the book kind of having this question hanging over everything; how is she going to save him? Parts of the story were predictable (dad scenario) especially at the end; but I was connected to the story because I sobbed at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Moderate: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Vomit

Minor: Incest

heartfelthullabaloo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.5

Maybe because I’m a boy mom of a 15 year old, but this story punched me right in the gut. How utterly devastating. How do you go your whole parenthood protecting them from predators to this? The whole thing was too real and devastating. I’m just gutted about it. I pray I never have to endure this reality past the pages of this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Religious bigotry

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

urbanstheno's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape

Minor: Mental illness, Grief, and Abandonment

lhardy1214's review against another edition

3.75

Heavy read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment

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

Moderate: Bullying, Violence, and Abandonment

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.