Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

1026 reviews

alpettit's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Wow, what an incredible human story. It’s a story about finding your own strength, of perseverance, of survival. It’s about self discovery and renewal. I couldn’t put it down. The retelling was vivid and dramatic. I was committed to every phase of the Tara’s development. I’m glad she found her peace. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

kinleydoes's review against another edition

emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Genocide, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and War

lovetlr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Interesting & heartbreaking account. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racism, and Antisemitism

remery3's review against another edition

dark inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness and Gaslighting

jsanders05's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

I still don’t understand the whole ‘point’ of this novel. Was it to inform people that they can change their lives for the better? Was it to make us feel bad for the author? Was it to enlighten people about the crazy Idahoan Mormans? I’m left a tad confused.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

froggoz13's review against another edition

emotional reflective

4.0

Gripping story all throughout the book and beautifully written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

flierofpages's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Car accident

catcherinthepi's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

What a memoir. This is an incredibly detailed and often grotesque account of a life under the thumb of religious extremism in an extraordinarily abusive household. I was shocked at how casually violence happened in this house...and how so much was brushed under the rug of "God's plan" or "God will strengthen us through this". Chilling stuff. 

Westover being a historian makes a lot of sense, with the way she tells her story and how her life taught her the importance of how we tell stories to ourselves to make sense of the world. People will be studying this one for a long time, I hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

katlinstirling_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

Educated by Tara Westover is a well-written,thought-provoking, fascinating and a powerful memoir. Overcoming and breaking free from her survivalist Mormon family  in order to go to college. This is Tara’s reminder to everything that education extends beyond the walls of the community and encompasses our everyday experiences and to question our ingrained beliefs. Emotional, heartbreaking yet utterly moving and deeply inspiring. I applaud Tara for her honesty and resilience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

katharina90's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

4.0

A harrowing memoir about a woman who broke away from an incredibly abusive family to pursue an education.

Difficult to read due to the graphic abuse, neglect and layers of trauma. I'm sure I didn't even capture all of the CWs.

I mostly found it sad and not particularly hopeful which I think just reflects where the author was in her healing journey at the time of writing. 

By the end of the book, the author has managed to separate herself from most of her family and is setting boundaries (which is a huge accomplishment!), but it doesn't seem like she's at peace as she keeps trying to pursue a relationship with her mother who both enabled and participated in the abuse and neglect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, and Car accident

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, and Colonisation