Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

A Light in the Forest: A Novel by Melissa Payne

10 reviews

anointed_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Xenophobia

lyndi_rivers's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Transphobia

Minor: Animal cruelty

charlieafahl's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Transphobia

darkhorseash's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I enjoyed this book; the timeline jumps in terms of the narrative didn't feel out of place and felt like they added to the story rather than just exposing all the secrets of it. The characters were quirky but in a way that they felt like real people, not caricatures. My one real complaint was that the final sort of revelation section felt like it wrapped up way too quickly; it would've benefited, I think, from another few pages at least just to be allowed to feel the enormous weight of both the twist and the culmination of the main plotlines. But overall, I found it very well-written and I especially enjoyed Vega's mentality towards Crystal and the people in it changing

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Transphobia

dmackreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This is one of those books where everything comes full circle, comes together, and just makes sense. Other than being written in 3rd person, I absolutely loved it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Pregnancy

raeoflight17's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Minor: Animal cruelty

sizzlesteaks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty

idahogirlreads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Transphobia

bmillerbooks29's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? No

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Violence

morethanmylupus's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? No

4.0

Vega and her baby run away from her abusive partner. She hides in a town her mother once lived in but where Vega has never been. Mourning her mother and scared of her partner finding her, she finds a town of people who become a found family - and some bullies who try to run her out of town.

This is billed as "emotional and suspenseful" but I'd say it was more emotional than suspenseful. It's a beautiful story of found family, what makes us who we are, living and honoring our true selves, and standing up for each other. While there is a mystery at the heart of the novel, that part is largely predictable and felt more like a subplot than the primary focus.

Please check TW on this one - particularly for transphobia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Transphobia