Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

9 reviews

janbee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

kiddocut's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

3.25

This book is not for everyone. Don’t go into it thinking there is a big twist once you read what the subject matter is-there is no twist.  That’s the point.

It’s one of the most challenging and upsetting things I’ve ever listened to and if you skip bits I don’t blame you-I had to skip some final chapters to “finish” this book. <specifically those associated with assisted suicide>

I think it takes great skill to write about this subject matter in a humanizing light without excusing the actions of the MC’s son. 

The point of the book is seeing her do everything she thinks she can to save her son from his own urges-even denying the truth or hoping it’s a mistake…and how that rips her family apart.  And yeah the MC does stupid and dangerously risky things to do that-but I can’t help but understand how hard it must be with the association of someone like her son. 

I think this book does a good job with the ripples of victimhood that the actions of the MC’s son actually does. That it affects every family member and how it affects them. And I think we forget that aspect of these kinds of crimes. 

If you can stomach it, (again, it’s not for the faint of heart) the change of perspective is interesting in and of itself.  

And as much as I like that, I do wish there was like a blurb or something about the research in this book-especially when it comes to the profiling efforts. It’s well researched but i still felt left hanging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Self harm, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Stalking, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Medical content, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Incest, Bullying, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship

Don’t go into this thinking there is a twist like I did-I was mislead by a friend suggestion, there *is* a slight one, but it’s so minuscule and misleading that it’s a pseudo twist that has no affect on the MC or her son.

snapeygan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I cannot put into words what this book made me feel. It COMPLETELY changed my view on the world, and now I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. That’s how much that book, with its writing, its taboo subjects, its less-than-perfect characters and just everything is powerful. From the moment I read the summary to the last page, I’ve been confronted to everything I ever believed in, and that’s exactly what I like, what I search, in books. I loved every minutes of it. I- I cannot write anything else about this book, I am way too busy being flabbergasted by it. It is, truly, an incredible book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Bullying

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Animal cruelty

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

5.0

I’ve never read anything like this before. It is the most loving and most self-hating book I’ve ever read. It was full of compassion and contempt. It was a point of view I’ve never considered. I’m grateful to have read it, and I think it’ll make me more mindful before I judge anyone again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Bullying, Grief, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

kelseyyreadssbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

smixter88's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Let me start by saying you 100% need to check for trigger warnings. Honestly, if you just read what the book is about, you'll immediately know at least one of them, but there are several severe ones. I have this really bad habit of not reading what a book is about, and just reading it because it's a thriller or its been recommended a lot. That's what happened here. With that said, I know this is marked as a psychological thriller. It's absolutely not. This book made me feel like I was going to vomit multiple times. It's a heavy read. The things in this book are horrific. I can honestly say I don't recommend this book. They are not just mentioned here and there, it's the entire book. That being said, I'll get into why I gave it a five star. Lucinda Berry's writing is beautiful. The emotions she wants you to feel, you do. 

Disgust ✔️
Saddness ✔️ 
Happiness ❌️ *because it doesn't exist here*
Rage ✔️ 
Empathy for certain people ✔️ 
Hatred ✔️ 
Love ❌️ *again didn't exist*
Depressed ✔️ 

See the pattern? 

You see this book from the mothers perspective, and her literally trying to save her son, only to realize...

I hated and I do mean hated the ending for many reasons. Again, I don't think I was ever meant to like it. I'm honestly confused as to why this book exists. And why the f*ck did I not read what it was about? I would have NEVER read this book. I'll learn my lesson eventually. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Sexual assault

sandyanger's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Bullying, and Pedophilia

ainrosle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

5.0

This book made me a mess. I'm warning you that if you do decide to pick this book up, just be prepared to be an emotional wreck right after, with a tissue box next to you & a blotchy face. 

There is NO WAY, just absolutely ZERO chances you can get through this book WITHOUT crying. It is dark, emotional, and deep. I don't think I can ever move on from this book. 

There's also something SO amazing about her writing I can connect with emotionally and she writes with such great empathy. The story, the message and the characters are so well ingrained in my brain and it all felt so raw... and real. This book is a masterpiece. I'm pissed that I don't see that many people talk about it. This is the type of book that should be sold on shelves, in everyone homes. 

Beautiful piece of work. Lucinda berry did it again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Self harm

morgansb's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was in incredibly  challenging and difficult read. This family dynamic was truly unsettling, and watching how they're reckoning with this traumatizing and life altering revelation. The ending fell very flat, and I didn't enjoy the sort of "gotcha" at the end. The characterization of the mother was the best to me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Death, Confinement, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, and Alcoholism

Heavy trigger warnings on this one, features lots of themes about harm and exploitation of minors.