Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

13 reviews

bg_oseman_fan's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

This story reminded me a lot of Mistry’s A Fine Balance. I admired her ability to weave the characters stories and reveal so much through showing rather than telling. The tragedies felt earned but not inevitable and every word of the story felt like it described the situation perfectly. it was difficult to read at times because of the subjects, but all were handled very well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Classism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Murder, Vomit, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Cursing

indou's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

fiberreader's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Domestic abuse

Minor: Suicide and Kidnapping

jamesyouwere's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Suicide

crazytourists_books's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

A heartbreaking story, beautifully written. It could have been shorter, as it drags painfully at some points, bit it made my heart beat hard towards the end, and that's a kind of redemption. 
I have so many questions about what I just read... Is it an account of contemporary Nigeria? Do things like those described in the book happen in real life today? Or is it something that happened in the past? I was horrified and deeply saddened by what I read, about how it is to live in Nigeria, and I sure hope that the author exaggerated about things that don't happen anymore. Adébáyó also leaves something unanswered for us to answer as we please and a part of me likes that (not everything needs to be resolved) but another part is afraid that it's not answered because the resolution given wouldn't be one that I would like. 
(3.5 stars, because it was far too long)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Police brutality, Medical content, and Physical abuse

themillennialjareads's review

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Stalking, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, and Mental illness

Minor: Child death

_cynthia's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

erebus53's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I went into this book not knowing anything about it. As a result I was about 9 hours in before I started seeing the point of the book. It really starts with slice of life things, and a broad cast of Nigerian characters, and it is difficult to see all the connections that will eventually be built. 

Amongst the main players are,
a woman who is a doctor who is being pressured by family to marry the man she has been dating,
his father who is a politician,
her mother who is trying to hold a family together,
the woman she buys her handmade dresses from,
a boy who works in the tailoring shop,
his family and their hopes and financial struggles that have been immense since his father was laid off by government funding cuts for schools.

These disparate characters seem to have little in common except locality. Each has their own history, drives and challenges. The pace is slow and half way through I was feeling a little lost when it came to understanding the significance of some things. Although frustrating, this is part of the point of the book. Without a big picture of what is going on, it is easy to ignore small things that contribute to a problem. This is a major theme of the story, but it takes a back seat to the unfolding interplay of characters.

As a backdrop we see a country that lives with shortage of medical and teaching staff (caused in part by the exodus of graduate students), and a divide between rich and poor that leaves those who are destitute or disabled begging on the streets. There is also some disability narrative with a mother who is terrified that her children will be Dyslexic, because she feels that her personal survival was only possible due to marrying a man with a good job.

Logical things happen but it still feels affronting. The last 5% of the book is a rollercoaster of tenseness and revelation, and emotional resonance that would only be possible with the time and love that the reader invests in the characters to this point. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes character driven stories, has a lot of patience, and an interest in Nigeria.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Murder, Death, Kidnapping, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Medical content, Ableism, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Vomit, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Abandonment, and Cancer

Minor: Alcohol, Mental illness, and Suicide

bibliophile_nemo's review

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Death