Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

10 reviews

oujo_umi's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

I saw the broadway musical first which I really enjoyed and decided to read the book when I found out the show was based off it. It was a  fun story with a satisfying ending.

For the most part everyone felt staticly “good” or “bad” without much development. As someone who typically is drawn to stories for the characters, I didn’t really connect. However the plot’s momentum toward the disaster teased in the first chapter was exciting enough to make up for that. I enjoyed how I could get pulled into the circus from the detailed descriptions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism and Terminal illness

stephmcoakley's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

jneverland's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent

faerielibrarie's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

annmierl's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Antisemitism, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

justaddwater's review against another edition

adventurous reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

odessablaine's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

napalm's review against another edition

adventurous dark

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

I’ll admit this wasn’t my favorite. I enjoyed the film immensely and as such was disappointed with the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

planetshelf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

I don’t know whether it’s just because of who I am, but I don’t think this is very romantic. It is very centered around thoughts of sex and overly anatomical descriptions of bodies (boobs’ descriptions were weird and often related to acidic fruits and penises sounded repulsive), but doesn’t feel at all like other books I’ve read that are categorized as romances.

The way Jacob — 90 (or 93) — is written is wonderful. I don’t know exactly what elders think, but I grew up with grandparents as my guardians and I feel an oddly sentimental connection with the more utilitarian thoughts that were written.

I feel this may be worth mentioning: the author uses non-colloquial vocabulary when referring to a body. If that might be uncomfortable for you, you probably should let this one go.

Nonetheless, I liked it and thought it was a fun journey to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative 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

4.0

Lots of thoughts. I love the different perspectives,  Jacob from when he’s 93 and then when he’s like 20 something maybe even younger. The romance was kinda meh, I’m glad it wasn’t the main focus at least in my opinion. I’m really upset that old guy and Walter died. Walters last moments must have been horrifying. I’m glad Jacob took Queenie in. And Rosie especially. I’m also glad she killed august. I wonder how Marlene knew the baby wasn’t augusts baby. The abuse that Rosie sustained was unbearable and unbelievable it was the most horrific descriptions I have ever read in a book. Which also made me hate the hook at the same time. Also the ending, it was literally amazing. I’m so glad he can like die doing something he loves doing, you know in a circus at the very. It’s one of the best ways to end the book I feel like. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism