Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

58 reviews

coybean's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

xiggy's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I thought I was going to hate this book. It’s not a book I would typically pick up. I hate so many of the characters in this book and the mentality but that’s the point. The good characters continue to grow and be good and the bad ones well some grow up and learn something and some don’t. Most don’t. I wanted so badly for justice if there wasn’t any I would still hate this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

stepnic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Vomit and Murder

rhubarbpi3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

So riveting. I have honestly really loved reading this series backwards. At first I was really made at god different Kyra and Peter were portrayed in the beginning but then I realized it was because they hadn’t yet had to deal with all the things that make them who they become. As always I love the writing style and the way that timing works as a narrative device. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, and Sexual harassment

beatle426's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

bookish_skies's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

starythril's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying and Rape

sofiam19's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

2.5

Wasn’t really for me. Read this for a book club knowing there would be heavy subject matter. I found myself very bored and didn’t care for most of it, the writing felt forced in some spots and there was a lot of filler imo. I can see how others may have loved it, but there was something missing for me to be able to emotionally connect to any of the characters. The second half of the book made me mad but it was very realistic, I’ll give it that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

sarah_amy's review

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

3.5 ⭐️ I was definitely drawn in, but it was a bit too sporty for me for me to fall in love with it as much as others have. It was conflicting - I loved the small-town community and felt affectionate towards a few of the characters. However, the mob mentality regarding the core event was hard to read. Can't decide if I will read the rest of the series yet...I'm curious to see how the lives of some of them continue on in the other 2 books, but not sure if that will be enough to keep reading about a sport I don't really follow or if they are as heavy as this book was (which I wasn't prepared for).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

elise0405's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.25

This is a heavy book, like…it literally made me feel heavy and the opposite of lighthearted or hopeful. 
All the characters struggle deeply and alone and I could literally feel how all those unsaid worries and traumas that every one of them bottled up are slowly suffocating them. 
It describes how hard we struggle in the hopes to do things right and get out and still hurt people or get hurt. How sometimes its just never enough. How it feels being stuck in toxic surroundings, how helpless it feels and what this helplessness does to you. 

As i say time and time again, Fredrik Backmans writing stile polarizes; some love it, others find it overdramatic… you gotta find out for yourself 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit

The topics are heavy and not sugarcoated