Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

14 reviews

funofme's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.25

i am so unsatisfied with this whole book. it was just low after low after low with a few holes in there

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia and Rape

Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

lulu2312's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.5

It was a really easy book to read. I read it in two days and enjoyed it. But there are things in there that I didn't like, like pedophilia which isn't really condemned and the plot was pretty predictable except for the last sentence where I was like, okay, I didn't really see it coming. But overall it was good!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

queerjennareads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

rbrockett21's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

Having just read the Girl on the Train, I was excited to read Hawkins’s next thriller. However, both as a stand-alone and in comparison to GotT, I felt it was disappointing. After seeing how well she can convey unreliable narration, it seemed like this was written by a less experienced author who was just entering the genre. Honestly, it seemed like this could have been her first work, not GotT. I didn’t feel a deep connection with any of the characters, and the set up left me wondering if there even was a mystery to be solved at all.

I think what got in the way of the potentially good plot was the excessive filler written in from each perspective. There’s leaving clues via different perspectives, and then there’s just spending too much time trying to make something out of nothing.

Though it was a quick read, I wouldn’t say I was madly turning the pages out of suspense. The only time the pace picked up was about 2/3 of the way through, and only briefly. Even in the moments leading up to finding out who the guilty party was, I just wasn’t that invested. And, in my opinion, the answer to whodunnit was very disappointing; it felt like it was supposed to be a twist that just completely missed its mark.

I still intend to read A Slow Burning Fire upon its release to see if it’s on par with GotT, but after Into the Water my excitement has been curbed. Hopefully her next novel will rekindle my appreciation for her writing style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder