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nancyemcc66's review against another edition
2.0
This is a well written heart wrenching book about some very tough subject matters. I only gave it three stars because I felt it was not presented to be quite what is was. This is labelled as a coming of age story but really it is a story about child abuse, physical, emotional and sexual. It does not gloss over anything and I found myself having to skip over some very disturbing scenes. I just don't like to read this kind of thing. I have no sympathy or understanding for the adults who allow this to happen no matter what the reason. The ending is upbeat and Dixie is a great character who comes through her trials with so much grace that I found it to be a bit unbelievable. The final "violation" seemed to be the thing that made everything turn out right in the end and I was uncomfortable with that. It did keep me reading but it just was not a story for me.
jblock321's review against another edition
emotional
sad
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Rape
rachc5's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I really don’t know how I feel about this book. For one thing, the title is entirely not reflective of the book. Her “education” is abuse and trauma. Also, I feel like the boom really glorified the terrible things that happened to Dixie at the end when she seemed so happy. It did not seem like a realistic reaction to what happened.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence
felinity's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I hesitated to request this because of the implications of the title, and so I must warn other readers: this book contains physical, emotional and sexual abuse. But it's not depressing (like [b:A Child Called It|60748|A Child Called "It" (Dave Pelzer #1)|Dave Pelzer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438400434s/60748.jpg|59104], lingering on details with no hope, instead showing the strength and resilience that sometimes pulls people through.
From the beginning we know that something happened to Dixie, still a young girl in elementary school, and this covers the period when she becomes aware of how terribly unhappy and dysfunctional her family has become. We see why she lies about everything, understand the thought processes of a child, especially when seeing the contrast between Dixie and her brother AJ, and learn to see the similarities between her family members, and who they really are.
At first I thought we might see the story from two sides, but it was much subtler than that, with the sort of adult/child echoes you see in Scout's narration of [b:To Kill a Mockingbird|2657|To Kill a Mockingbird|Harper Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361975680s/2657.jpg|3275794], so although the subject matter is dark, the naïveté of a child lightens it somehow.
If nothing else, reading it as a parent made me determined to start building open communication right now, so that my child and friends will know they can share important things with me.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I hesitated to request this because of the implications of the title, and so I must warn other readers: this book contains physical, emotional and sexual abuse. But it's not depressing (like [b:A Child Called It|60748|A Child Called "It" (Dave Pelzer #1)|Dave Pelzer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438400434s/60748.jpg|59104], lingering on details with no hope, instead showing the strength and resilience that sometimes pulls people through.
From the beginning we know that something happened to Dixie, still a young girl in elementary school, and this covers the period when she becomes aware of how terribly unhappy and dysfunctional her family has become. We see why she lies about everything, understand the thought processes of a child, especially when seeing the contrast between Dixie and her brother AJ, and learn to see the similarities between her family members, and who they really are.
At first I thought we might see the story from two sides, but it was much subtler than that, with the sort of adult/child echoes you see in Scout's narration of [b:To Kill a Mockingbird|2657|To Kill a Mockingbird|Harper Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361975680s/2657.jpg|3275794], so although the subject matter is dark, the naïveté of a child lightens it somehow.
If nothing else, reading it as a parent made me determined to start building open communication right now, so that my child and friends will know they can share important things with me.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
lizardlodge's review against another edition
2.0
Sorry, but I didn't like this book. The defining event was announced in the first few pages so I spent the whole book dreading it. Of the two twists, one was pretty predictable and the other was pretty random. Decriptions of the rural south in this time period were spot on, however (although an 11-year-0ld would never have referred to someone as "Ms." in 1969). The Duprees were very realistic characters, and the scene where the father confronts the mother was truly terrifying.
hjhenderson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide
tomaind's review against another edition
5.0
An incredibly powerful coming of age story that totally overwhelmed me emotionally. The subject matter is not always easy to read, but it will make you care deeply for Dixie. She is a strong and determined young girl that will remind you of past Southern Fiction characters like Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Lily from "The Secret Life of Bees". Donna Everhart is a new author for me, but I would not hesitate to read her other books. Most of this story takes place in Alabama and was a great choice to fit into my January Book Theme of Southern Fiction.
kayoft's review against another edition
5.0
Powerful!
Well-written with a message that needs to be heard ... a tangled twisted story of fierce loyalty through unbelievable challenges with hope in the end.
Well-written with a message that needs to be heard ... a tangled twisted story of fierce loyalty through unbelievable challenges with hope in the end.
worldsokayeststepmom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicide
jennread's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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? No
2.5
CW for child sexual abuse and rape. I wish I hadn’t read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Death of parent