Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

4 reviews

cameronmh's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

This book ruined me emotionally. It really has it all, when it comes to trauma and damaged characters. Catholic guilt? Check. Alcoholism? Check. Abusive family? Check. Complicated past, where the main character thinks they ruined their own life and everything is their fault? Check. Definitely read the CWs if you have any content you’re sensitive to. This is definitely the last book I’m reading without checking the list… it’s very good, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Mental illness and Incest

There is a LOT of elder abuse, and it’s BAD abuse, and

Spoiler

one of the elderly people who suffers this abuse also is victim to a pretty horrific “accidental” death

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elle_dee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

leahjanespeare's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

4.0

First, I do not recommend reading Tess (and its upcoming sequel) without having read both Seraphina and Shadow Scale. The world is so complex it will be alienating for any new readers trying to understand it and relies a little on knowing the personalities of characters and creatures featured in those two books.

That being said, do not anticipate seeing any dragons in this story, despite the cover. I think the dragon looming over Tess represents internalized misogyny, her unfounded, societal shame and outcast status regarding a past sexual assault, and the trauma associated with it. Honestly, each of those are dragons themselves. This is a very character-driven fantasy, a Bildungsroman at its core. The pace is very slow. It deals with extremely heavy themes and could be triggering for readers. Be reassured that by the end of the book things are looking up and hopeful, and the road Tess walks on is only the beginning of her larger story of healing and regaining her autonomy in both body and mind. I did enjoy the book and her writing but I don’t think I liked it quite as much as Seraphina, and I was not expecting the heavy themes so prominently depicted. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, and Grief

Minor: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

jmatsumura's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny