Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Girl by Edna O'Brien

27 reviews

tyras_bookshelf's review against another edition

This book is obviously very dark and traumatizing as it deals with real life trauma, even if it’s fictionalized. It was really hard to read due to the explicit horror of what happened to these girls. I picked it up to try something new and learn about something I have little knowledge on but I just couldn’t stomach it. 

 

Perhaps it was even a little gratuitous in the author’s description since she (seemingly) has no connection to the real people this happened to. Im making some assumptions without research so there’s that but I found it interesting and potentially problematic that this Irish author is writing Nigerian fictional stories. Race shouldn’t limit what stories you tell but something about it sets me on edge just a bit. Idk, it’s complicated. 

 

And according to some other reviews, O’Brien traveled to Nigeria to interview women and girls victimized by Boca Haram and so there is critique about why she didn’t just do an autobiography or something more factual and I think that’s what I’m getting at to. For this to have been a reality of some many girls, it felt so much like O’Brien was hamming it up to give us this gorey, fantastical story—she could have just given us the unfiltered truth. Or maybe I’m missing the point—it was a gorey and unbelievable thing that occurred but something about this book was just off for me. 

 

Anyway, maybe I’ll try again with this one but also most likely not. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

emmavardy2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

An important story about the kidnapping of Nigerian school girls by Boko Haram. Told from perspective of main character Maryam. It's a tough read but so well written and such an important topic. Some have criticised this book being written by an older, Irish, white lady. However Edna O'brien did huge amounts of research for the book, writes sensitively and brings these events to a wider audience. So for me this isn't a negative.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

hammerhead69's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury

absolute_gemma's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture

tinisabelle's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, and Religious bigotry

robkil96's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Violence, Kidnapping, and War

bookaholics_anonymous's review against another edition

Really didn't like the writing style 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy

natashaball's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

I read this as part of a book challenge - I wouldn't choose it a second time. Although child abduction and forced marriage is a very important subject that needs to be spoken about more in the news, I'm not sure fiction is the best for this topic. I appreciate that the book is well written, even though a couple of times the protagonist was a bit nonchalent about events that happened to her. However that could be the point seeing as she is still a child. 

The return to her family was very upsetting, especially the hatred towards Babby

 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Trafficking, and War

hollybearhouck's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual violence, and Grief

citrusboombox's review against another edition

Really visceral depictions of SA, too much for me

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Kidnapping