Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Vanderah

2 reviews

mthereader's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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

4.0

Hoo boy. Where to start with this book? 

I guess I'll start by saying that I really did like it. Lots of nature in this book, and it's actually very accurately depicted which is a big bonus of Glendy Vanderah's biology background - I'm very drawn to her books because of that. This story is also a great deep dive into different types of relationships. It wraps up so nicely after a lot of hard emotions get sorted out, and you're definitely meant to have all sorts of warm fuzzies when this book is over. 
 
However. This book should come with about a hundred trigger warnings stamped on the cover. The official blurb only gets at a fraction of them: abandonment, abduction, abuse, addiction - and I'm only in the A's! (I tagged 20[!] content warnings for this book on StoryGraph.) 

I honestly would have given this book all 5 stars if the last two chapters didn't

have such an intense focus on teen pregnancy and a very weirdly crowded birthing scene. Absolutely unnecessary and not my vibe at all.

 

But if you like books where the characters are very close to nature, and like books about complicated familial relationships, and don't mind about a zillion potential triggers, you'll love this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Violence, Drug use, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Kidnapping

bobbijopmh's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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

“The astrophysical, geological, and evolutionary processes that made you—and all life on earth—are the great wonders of our universe.”

Glendy Vanderah has done it again. I absolutely loved Where The Forest Meets The Stars; so I had high expectations for Vanderah’s second novel. Those expectations were met, and well exceeded. If you enjoyed Where The Forest Meets The Stars, you’ll love The Light Through The Leaves! I put off reading this when it was first available via Amazon first reads, as I wasn’t sure it would live up to my expectations. (How wrong was I?!) 

Like Vanderah’s first novel, nature is interwoven throughout the entire story, but not just as a setting or location. Nature becomes its own character. 

The story line is engaging, the characters are well developed, and the writing is atmospheric, almost poetic, at points. 

The style and content both remind me somewhat of Barbara Kingsolver’s novels, but there is something unique about this book as well. It was the sort of book that you honestly (as cliche as it sounds) just cannot put down. I read the entire book in two days. 

The story is heartbreaking and joyful and stressful and relief-filled all at once. It’s a story of loss, and family, and friendship, and finding a place to belong, and finding love. 

I can’t wait to see what Glendy Vanderah writes next! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Violence and Vomit