Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

8 reviews

milshollini's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Hate crime, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Bullying, Body shaming, Homophobia, Abandonment, Genocide, and Gun violence

racheldonna14's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.0

I read this book in 2010 and decided to reread and see if it was as good as I remember. It was better, and the themes ring loudly post Roe.
The characters start as 2D characters of a troubled teen, ward of the state, and religious tithe which allows the world to be the main character for a while. The world of this book feels familiar (because its mostly Ohio and Arizona) but the rules are different and it takes the reader on a journey to see what the USA has become post Second World War. Once the world is concretely established, the characters, and their relationships between one other, begin to blossom and become complex and whole. Each of their motivations and desires are unique leaving no room for confusion as to why they make the choices that they make even if the choice is wrong. The story is gut-wrenching and visceral from beginning to end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Body horror, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

mokiethe_dog34's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Very good book. Well written and brilliantly paced. However, I am now traumatised and very concerned for what was going on in the author’s head when he wrote this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Hate crime, Suicide, and Ableism

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual assault

dark_marble_eyes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I've seen this book as recommended reading for young adults/teens quite a lot, and I can see some merit in it. The main problem with this book is that it doesn't overtly take a stance, yet is promoted as a "conversation starter" on the subject/concept of abortion, the could-be alternatives, and the people on "either side" of the argument. It is purposefully written in such a way that somehow both anti-legal abortion and pro-legal abortion people regularly point to this book as a "see here! this is arguing my point!"
However, it comes across to me as a work written by someone who is either not invested in the issue or only invested in the way that it's a profitably inflammatory subject.

I cannot speak to the original intentions for the book and its sequels, but the opinion I personally have formed after reading the book, some interviews of the author, and the reactions of others, is that it lacks integrity of belief. I do believe that books written with intentional ambiguity can be helpful and valuable -just not this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Suicide, Child death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Death, Abortion, Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Suicide

Minor: War

in relation to my tag on mass/school shootings- I do not remember there being specific mention of school shootings themselves, but there are people called "clappers" who are essentially suicide bombers in this universe who will go to schools or public areas and clap, activating [nitroglycerin?] in their bloodstream causing combustion and explosion.

k_galloway's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Grief, Gore, Torture, Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Physical abuse

touchegiantsquid's review against another edition

dark sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

The book tries to "both sides" the debate between pro and anti choice laws for the sake of thrills. I would not say it handled that well.

It's hard to take this dystopia seriously since it seems to lack any theory of how politics works. It's just "what if a bunch of terrible things happened? Wouldn't that be terrible?" It doesn't seem to have anything to say about the debate, it just wants to use it to give the appearance of synthesis at the conclusion.

The craft of the conclusion was good, which is why I didn't rate the book lower.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Kidnapping, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Violence, and Suicide

scarlettskyes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, and Child abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Slavery, and Religious bigotry

martereadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Slavery, Violence, Torture, and Stalking

Moderate: War, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault