Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

18 reviews

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

axel_p's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Addiction, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Fatphobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Violence

at806's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Violence

nat20charisma's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

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

4.25

It was my second time reading the book, but I have a much different perspective since a decade has passed since my first read through. I think the levity of the situation hit me much harder this go around.

I didn’t think much on the questions of aging before, but this time I saw more of those themes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Car accident, Blood, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

megpancoast's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

gymjam_reads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

4.75

What amazing storytelling - I was transported right into the life of a US circus in the 1930s!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Death, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

Minor: Antisemitism

greenmind's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful 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

4.0

I didn't have any expectations for this one, but I was interested in reading this before watching the movie - and it's a really great book. Unusual and emotionally engaging. As well as packed with adventure, drama and fantastic characters.  

I watched the film adaptation after I finished the book - it was frustratingly crap. Can’t recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Car accident

Moderate: Ableism, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, and Domestic abuse

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

malia7's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Animal cruelty

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, Violence, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

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

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