mnicewaner's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Incest, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
mob333's review
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
bookrecsanddnfs's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Medical content, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Violence
angelahargis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse
smashbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Self harm
jennmcclafferty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse
bohemian_yogini's review against another edition
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Incest, Sexual assault, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, and Drug abuse
fanchera's review against another edition
Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Incest, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage
jenbsbooks's review against another edition
3.75
This is marked as nonfiction/memoir/biography/true-story here on GoodReads ...not so on Storygraph (listed as fiction). I believe the latter is correct. While yes this is "based" on true events, and so much of it IS the author's life (as stated in the author's notes, and the "based on true events") but it is also pointed out "character names, places and incidents are used fictitiously, and any any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental" ... not sure how you say this is non-fiction with that statement.
While I did get sucked into the story, and cared about the characters, and really appreciated many of the insights given by Beth (the MC, based on the author) ... it was pretty choppy, especially at the start. There's a prologue which is the "present day" then it goes back to a day in the past when the MC was very young, swimming with her brother. The brother almost drowns. I wasn't sure exactly what starting with this story was supposed to do ... I guess show us (the reader) that the little girl had some understandable hero-worship of dear daddy to start, that he didn't want them to tell mommy (just one of the secrets she would be asked to keep). Chapter 2 starts with the words "I was seven" ... more seemingly random memories. Here, I guess showing that the dad lost his tempter and hurt one of the kids?), backgroup of why Mom isn't more helpful, and the introduction of our MC keeping a diary. The chapter ends with "Dad was home". Chapter 3 ... our MC is nine, and it stays at this time-frame for a bit, but still, just some scenes and happenings I just didn't quite understand why we were being given this random information, and mixed in, almost hard to catch, is the revelation of the abuse (by chapter 5/she's 11). Some of it was so obscure I wasn't actually sure when the first full rape took place, at what age.
I just didn't get some things ... beyond the "why doesn't she tell" which is actually addressed later on,
It was interesting to have our MC lay out some facts ... this is what helped, don't assume this or that. This part of it is what made me bump up the overall rating in the end. I also think I'm more inclined to be more lenient when knowing it was based on true events - but I wonder how it would have read, how I would have felt, if it HAD been written as non-fiction, a biography.
I loved how the title tied in, that was pretty impactful.
Graphic: Incest, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Physical abuse
kimba2992's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Incest, Grief, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Bullying, Addiction, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexism, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Drug use