Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'
Die verborgenen Stimmen der Bücher, by Bridget Collins
21 reviews
prashiie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. While I really love the (queer) characters, the general outline and the uniqueness of the story, I also think it did not deliver its full potential. This book could have been so much more. Getting into the story was especially troublesome as the writing really threw me off. The detailed description of the surroundings part one almost felt cinematic. The writing in parts two and three on the other hand was more pleasant.
Spoiler
"To have another person’s memory entrusted to you… To take the deepest, darkest part away from them and keep it safe, forever. To honour it, to make it beautiful, even though no one will ever see it. To guard it with your own life."Although the majority of people loathed binders, she didn't let that influence her character. She stayed true to her profession until the end.
“There was sympathy in her face, as if I could tell her everything and she would understand.”
It is with Seredith that Emmett finds a real home. He carries her sympathy, morality and loyality while her own son, de Havilland, chooses a different path.
It's a pity that the point of view changes after Emmett goes to his first binding and gets his memories back. It would have been interesting to see how he gets to know his own powers and proceeds to become a fine binder. For example, the voice that he uses to curse the people that threatened to burn down Seredith's bindery with Seredith in it? This never gets mentioned again in the story.
The story also goes to show how greed and power can destroy any noble art.
Graphic: Animal death, Kidnapping, Rape, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, and Homophobia
Moderate: Incest, Infidelity, Alcohol, Outing, Violence, Vomit, and Sexual assault
Minor: Murder
mgxwawa13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse and Homophobia
xbernadette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Vomit, Homophobia, Infidelity, Grief, Classism, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Alcohol, Incest, Blood, Hate crime, Animal death, Vomit, Death, Sexual harassment, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, and Adult/minor relationship
uparrowhead's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Many of the reviews I've read call the book slow-placed. With that, I have to agree. However, I think that the pacing of the book fits the content and story that it tells quite well. At certain points, however, like the climax of the story, I can understand how it was annoying and boring to read through, but I mostly didn't mind it.
Something that I have to appalude Bridget Collins for is her use of language and description. Many of the settings of the book were written out in a way that easily sucked me right into the novel, and the writing in the book was, overall, of high quality.
I really enjoyed the premise of the novel; the idea that you could take someone's memories and bind them into a book that they will forget forever. It gave way and allowed the book to explore darker concepts of society, and made the story much more engaging to read through.
I do believe that certain parts of the story weren't developed as much as they could have been,
Spoiler
with the death of Seredith, which seemed to stop effecting Emmett as soon as the book moved into Part Two and Three, and the ending which (although heartwarming) left some questions opened and unanswered in the story.WARNING : The book does change its POVs throughout Part One, Two, and Three of the story. I personally liked how it was executed, but I know it is not for everyone, and a lot of reviews I've read on here say that it was done poorly and left readers confused.
Graphic: Suicide, Miscarriage, Vomit, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Rape, Outing, Animal cruelty, Blood, Sexism, Animal death, Classism, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Pedophilia and Adult/minor relationship
the_first_lines's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Homophobia, and Animal death
greymalkin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Spoiler
I didn't much like any of the characters and the terrible abuse of all the female characters (not a single one is spared) was really upsetting. Especially as the male characters tended to be the abusers and awful people and for the most part had zero repercussions or punishment. I also wish that the book had lingered more on the actual bookbinding part instead of just a few descriptions of materials and tools that we never "see" used so we don't know what they do. Since the author has actually taken a lot of bookbinding classes I expected more but it felt more like what someone might add after an evening of googling and youtube videos. Since it was such a huge part of the magic system of the world, I wanted more details. All the bits about "trade" and fakes were intriguing but we never get to interact with them "onscreen". Humans are storytellers, how is that no one has written down stories before? If they didn't, then why isn't there more of an oral tradition? My questions really took me out of the book.Graphic: Homophobia, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Violence, Child death, Suicide, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Self harm
Minor: Racism, Religious bigotry, Torture, Stalking, and Kidnapping
Spoiler
In case the massive block of content warning tags is not enough, this book has multiple serial pedophilic rapists in it and disturbing homophobic violence. And no, the perpetrators don't get punished. Only their victims get punished and killed.lisa00's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Violence, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Gaslighting
thecheshire_cat's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Child death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Vomit, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, and Grief
Minor: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Rape
rjstellar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, and Homophobia
Minor: Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Vomit
lucy_waldock's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Suicide, Homophobia, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Rape, Vomit, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Adult/minor relationship