Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Testaments: The Sequel to the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

39 reviews

irisandfoxglove's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? No

5.0

I found the book really engaging and an enjoyable read. I’ll note it works really well as an audiobook, which isn’t always the case.

I don’t understand why Becca met the fate that she did. Also, I cried when they mentioned the statue with the forget me nots at the end. She is a character I was sad to not see more development of, especially when reading the secret files. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Torture, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

theimposter's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

any1elsebutlee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Emotional abuse

kayleejanes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

pxpp's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

galerieanna25's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

avocadotoastbee's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

3.5

The Testaments is not really what I was hoping for.
In the acknowledgements, Atwood says that The Testaments answers questions left by The Handmaid's Tale and shows what happened after the novel. In my opinion, however, it doesn't do that at all.
Don't get me wrong, there was definitely more information about Gilead and what led to its downfall, although it is never really said how Gilead collapsed.
Another thing that really bothered me was that it basically stuck to the extended storyline and characters from the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale. I would have liked the book much more if it had been narrated by other characters and abandoned the plot of The Handmaid's Tale's nameless narrator (June) completely, or at least partially.
All in all, I think Margaret Atwood did a great job of building this dystopian world (some of which, unfortunately, isn't that far from the reality we're living in right now), but The Testaments didn't meet my expectations and was predictable, and kind of unnecessary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Murder

leonormsousa's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

jlohnes's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, and Classism

nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail