Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

81 reviews

hannahs_library__'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

 i love feel good fiction and i love Eleanor Oliphant 💛

Read this if you like:
- Literary Fiction
- Character driven stories
- Mental health rep ❤️‍🩹
- Healing journey
- Books that feel like a warm hug ☀️
- CHARACTER GROWTH
- Friendship / Found family
- Recovery

I picked up Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine on a whim, the audiobook was available on Libby and I was in the mood for some good lit-fic. Little did I know it was going to end up being a 5 star read ⭐ and I would love it so much I had to go buy a physical copy!!!

This book is about Eleanor Oliphant and as the title suggests, she is completely fine- not thriving, not suffering, maybe not even happy. Just completely fine. She has a good job, a place all to her own, and her safe, comfortable routine. Raymond is the new IT help desk guy at their office. When the pair witnesses an old man fall and hit his head on the sidewalk, an unlikely friendship blooms. ☺️

I've said this many times before, but I absolutely love books where the main character is on a healing journey. Eleanor has A LOT of unresolved trauma from her past and this book follows her on her healing journey. Her character arc is truly inspiring, and this book has such a special place in my heart now. Eleanor is a very complex character and she definitely has her quirks but I just adore her. I think a lot of people could relate to her and her story. There were so many times when I wanted to give her a hug!!

At it's core, this book is about friendship and the importance (and power) of human connection. This was such a lovely story! The audiobook was a fine reading experience but I did end up switching to my physical copy once I bought it and liked that better. The narrator's voice doesn't match Eleanor Oliphant in my opinion but it wasn't a big deal.

I really hope Gail Honeyman writes more because this was an amazing debut novel! I don't think this book is for everyone but if you like feel good fiction and a little bit of Fredrik Backman style writing, you should pick this up and give it a try! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

 

These days, loneliness is the new cancer—a shameful, embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way. A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don’t want to hear the word spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them.

This book has been a long-time coming. I was a little scared going into this because of all the high praise surrounding this book, but I shouldn't have been. I thought it was very well written, with an engaging plot and a lot of important messages to get across to the reader. I certainly had a couple of issues with how some things (the therapy, the SA, and the alcoholism to give just some examples) were handled and I found Eleanor's fatphobia (although in no way endorsed in the book) was somewhat difficult to read.

However, Eleanor was a very unique character and her charm really grew on me throughout the book. Despite the dark themes, Gail Honeyman's humour came across very well in my opinion and I loved the way she made me feel Eleanor's loneliness. If the trigger warnings do not look to overwhelming, I can definitely recommend this book to many of my close friends, it is one that is certainly worth the read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia

twitchywitchy314's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I read it in less than a day. So good, so heartwarming. Also heart-wrenching. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

dianacrb's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicide

vagrantheather's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny sad 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? Yes

5.0

An easy 5 stars. I was captivated and couldn't put it down. Eleanor's self talk is so relatable. I know it's often referred to as autism-coded, but I didn't read it that way. It just as easily reads as someone who experienced a super tragic upbringing, opted out of social situations that were too challenging to confront, and has lived in a haze of depression and survival instincts until now. She isn't a very nice person, but she's capable of seeing that and willing to change when confronted with herself. 

I was glad to see where her social relationships ended up. I was afraid they would go one way and felt that would've cheapened it. 

I did struggle a little with the absurdity of a culture that allows a person to take extended medical leave without losing their job or going broke. The US is not ok. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Self harm, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Stalking

peasandpancakes's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking

julschapman's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Vomit

lizziaha's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.25

I found Eleanor to be intensely unlikable at the beginning of the story, which is sort of the point, but it was hard for me to get over it. She is a little (a lot) oblivious to how the world works, and while this is funny and endearing at times, it also involved a lot of second hand embarrassment for me. This gets a bit better, once Raymond begins to teach her how to be human. Her character growth is immense, but I don’t know if the payoff was quite worth it. I did really enjoy the writing style, so I might have to check out something else by this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Classism

thetearex's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

beriboo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.0

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman is a beautifully written novel that delves deep into the life of the main character, Eleanor Oliphant. At first glance, Eleanor may seem like an odd and socially awkward individual, but as the story unfolds, we learn about the trauma and loneliness that have shaped her into the person she is today. 

What I loved most about this book is how the author skillfully balances moments of humor and light-heartedness with the darker themes of loneliness, mental health, and trauma. Despite the heavy subject matter, Honeyman's writing style is engaging and witty, making it a surprisingly uplifting read.

The character development in this book is truly exceptional. Eleanor is a complex and nuanced character, and as the reader, I found myself deeply invested in her journey towards self-discovery and healing. The relationships she forms with those around her, particularly with Raymond, are heartwarming and genuine, adding depth and warmth to the story.

Overall, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant novel that stayed with me long after I finished reading it. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating and moving story about the power of human connection and the resilience of the human spirit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury