Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

13 reviews

whiskeywoman79's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

 Fiction / Horror / Mystery / Thriller / Crime / Suspense
⭐⭐⭐/5
TW: SA (graphic once, but mentioned in different ways throughout)

I am not sure what to say about this story. It was creepy. It had its good parts and its bad parts? I was left confused and underwhelmed? I am rather unsure how I feel about it as a whole.
 

 
I feel like the author kept trying to justify inappropriate adult-child relationships. Like the one that was forced was bad, but because the young girl liked the teacher back that one wasn't bad, TF?!! Both shouldn't have happened, and neither should be condoned.
Can we also acknowledge that he was sexually assaulted!! They kept glazing over that Other than when he asked about the accusation made at the church "What he did to you - some people would give that same name."
I have no idea how it won the awards it did.
Will like this if you like Stephen King? For me it is like SCI Fi movies it's the B-rated version of Stand By Me.
I grew up in a small US town in the 1980s, yet I felt so disconnected from the flashbacks, maybe it is a UK v US thing? I never believed they were 80's kids.
I had such high hopes for this read because The Burning Girls is one of my 5-star reads for this year, after DNFing The Drift, and now my experience with this I am starting to think it was a one-off. 

I am using this for a challenge I am just not sure which one yet. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Gore, Dementia, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Car accident

tlskayte's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, and Car accident

lousyreader157's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Suicide, Medical content, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Child abuse, Self harm, Car accident, and Abortion

rochelleisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Car accident, Abortion, Alcohol, and Classism

A boy is raped orally. It is very disturbing, and the event is brought up a handful of times afterwards.

sarahbarrie29's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Self harm

mysterymom40's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Terminal illness, Car accident, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

mentions and experiences of early onset Alzheimer’s; SA on page; prejudice of a person’s physical appearance; incidents of relations between young girls and older men; dismemberment; graphic scenes of physical abuse among minors

trifi's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Rape, Self harm, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse

megpadams's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

Lots of thoughts! 

• Wtf was that ending! I low key expected it because there were hints all the way through but it was so sudden! 
• I really wanted it to turn out to be supernatural 
• Still not entirely sure about the dreams- trauma or was Ed starting to show symptoms of dementia like his dad? 
• Did we ever find out who was murdered in the playground a few generations before?
• Was the traveller man at the fair actually the reverend? 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

This book was weird in the best way. The ending creeped me out but after having read the entire book, I couldn’t even be that shocked. The story illuminates how no matter how good we try to be or claim to be, we all do bad things and some of us do more heinous things than others.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

richardw2024's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm

More...

By using The StoryGraph, you agree to our use of cookies.
We use a small number of cookies to provide you with a great experience.

Find out more