Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

12 reviews

ameliasbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Usually I'm having difficulties with child characters in stories. Very often I find their thoughts and dialogues unbelievable, but this wasn't the case here. I really enjoyed reading about the daily life and the little adventures  of Darling and her friends. Maybe I would have preferred one or two characters less, because not all of them were portrayed really memorable enough.

The author did a good job in letting the place and the experiences the protagonists made coming alive on the page.

Can't really say which part I enjoyed more, the one that takes place in Zimbabwe or the one in the US. Both are similar important to the story, so I had no preference. 

The only criticism I have is that Bulawayo tries too hard to cover numerous themes and therefore can't really go into depth with most of them. This is a short book, so most of the covered topics stay quite on the surface and aren't explored enough. Which I would have been really interested in, because the story in general made me so.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Dementia, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Body shaming, and Racism

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Animal death, War, and Death

hotkoolaidpotato's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and War

Moderate: Bullying, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Abortion, Body shaming, Child abuse, and Classism

Minor: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Incest, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Infidelity

madsquirrel's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Rape

dianakamau's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Chronic illness, Excrement, and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death, Grief, Rape, and Child abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Abortion

elenaysuslibros's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Leí este libro gracias a mi club de lectura y me encanta haber tenido la oportunidad de toparme con este libro. 

Siento que constantemente estaba sintiendo ternura por la inocencia de los juegos y la manera de ver la vida de Darling y sus amigos, y también tristeza por las condiciones que vivían. Me encanta la sutileza con la que se cuentan temáticas bastante fuertes, como están narradas desde el punto de vista de una niña no están contadas de una manera tan explícita, pero queda claro la gravedad y el dolor de lo que estaba ocurriendo. 

El libro se divide en dos partes: cuando Darling está viviendo en Zimbabwe con sus amigos, y cuando viaja con su tía a Estados Unidos. En la primera parte se muestra más que nada su niñez y sus sueños, que a pesar de que ella y sus amigos tienen vidas difíciles logran pasar lindos momentos juntos. Ya en Estados Unidos, Darling comienza a buscarse a sí misma y descubrirse como persona, con el choque de haber dejado su vida atrás en su país y que ahora debe adaptarse a una cultura que no entiende por completo. Da una sensación agridulce ver cómo va creciendo, cómo recuerda con mucho cariño su infancia en Zimbabwe a pesar de lo dura que fue su vida, pero que con el tiempo va perdiendo lo poco que le va quedando de su lugar de origen, hasta que ya es solo un recuerdo al que se aferra con cariño.

La escritura de la autora es maravillosa, tiene una manera muy poética y clara de describir los sentimientos de Darling. Toda la experiencia de leer este libro es muy emotiva y dolorosa a veces.
Me encantaría ver este libro siendo más popular. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse

feebles640's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, Classism, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Incest, Racism, Abortion, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Dementia, Fatphobia, and Deportation

Minor: Mass/school shootings

goatsrsexy's review

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This book had a lot going on. It was about Zimbabwean children playing games and trying to understand situations way too complex for children, and it was also about immigrants in America and the feeling of not quite belonging anywhere. It was a really beautiful and at times heartaching read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Child abuse and Death

ollie_again's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Violence, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Vomit, Rape, Police brutality, Animal cruelty, and Pregnancy

Minor: Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, and Eating disorder

amanda_marie's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

The premise may seem sad, may indeed be a little sad, but it is also about joy. Witty, unfiltered, joy. It is not about pity, but perspective. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Pregnancy, War, Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Police brutality

littlebluenaiad's review against another edition

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Racial slurs

Minor: Child abuse