Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

17 reviews

jeevash's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Physical abuse, Suicide, and Animal death

pspude's review against another edition

2.0

This review is just one big trigger warning.

I wanted to like this book... and I did finish it, but maaan I hated the ending. This book was essentially one big trauma dump after the next in attempt to distract readers from figuring out the mystery. Like the almost rape scene for Jack's brother Jacob?! Like why?! And Jack actually being Merry, one of the original missing girls? Hated that because she seemed so out of touch with the town... that she grew up in??? And no one recognized her or Flo?! And Wrigley was a killer..... for fun.... and enjoyed torture with Rosie? Like okay? What were the odds?  And let's just throw in the religious trauma with Jack being part of the church. 
I felt like this book were three major traumas loosely tied together in a haphazard ending. Tudor really paints a picture, but it was so far fetched in tying everything together that I was severely disappointed.  Also, who killed the mom?! Wtf is this town. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, and Torture

jonesy_1977's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved this book and its twists and turns. Didn't guess the ending at all. If you love psychological thrillers like I do, I totally recommend giving this author a go. It's my first book by C.J. Tudor but definitely won't be my last. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Minor: Physical abuse

singalana's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, Suicide, Bullying, Death, Torture, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

saraellenme's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, and Torture

Moderate: Child death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Death, and Grief

Minor: Drug use, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Drug abuse, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Gun violence, and Grief

mysterymom46's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Stalking, Toxic friendship, Blood, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Self harm, Torture, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, and Death

Minor: Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Homophobia

Spoiler

graphic scenes, even with teen characters; lots of cursing and what could be read as blasphemy to some; biblical interpretation and views shared by religious persons; ghost-like appearances

scburhans's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

 Walked into this book knowing nothing but the title, and boy was it a wild ride. Overall, I thought it was pretty good book, but there were some details that I felt uncomfortable with. I did find some of the elements to be rather predictable, but there were a few twists that surprised me. I thought there were a lot of great complex characters, however, there were still some really stereotypical, 2D characters as well, which was unfortunate.

** Spoilers Below **

The biggest thing I had an issue within this book was Ruby's family. It made me really uncomfortable that the first black and gay characters we get in the book are child abusers and murderers. While I don't think the racism and homophobia from this decision was intentional - I think it was in an attempt to introduce a discussion on unconscious biases - but it still did not read well at all. Having the villain of the story fake a disability also made me incredibly uncomfortable as a disabled person. There was a lot of covert, and I hope unintentional, ableism in the story. I did, however, enjoy the rest of the book, so I did decide to give the story 3.5 stars rather than just three. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Murder, Pedophilia, Suicide, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

mgordon3118's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Bullying, Ableism, Abandonment, Torture, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Dementia, Death, Child death, Blood, and Alcoholism

kathryn_a's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Hate crime, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Vomit

pretzelocity's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship