Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

4 reviews

renegadegrocerycart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A remarkable story about the conflicts of faith and devotion. Even knowing the end—having watched the 2022 film adaptation—it was still very tense. Emma Donoghue’s prose is well-suited to the fact-based, concise tone of the nurse main character, and details are used sparingly but to devastating effect. 

Historically-speaking, this book has a lot to say about the relationship between the English and the Irish and the long-lasting effects of the Irish Potato Famine. It’s a fascinating read for that as much as the central plot. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Incest, Medical trauma, and Medical content

The child at the center of this story was sexually abused by her older brother. The abuse is not described in detail, but is mentioned towards the end of the book.

jhbandcats's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I recently saw the movie The Wonder, so I wanted to read the book. The movie follows the plot of the book closely; both are excellent. Emma Donoghue writes wonderful historical fiction, well-researched and with strong female characters, and I always learn something new from her. 

This story exposes the idiocy of blindly following a mystical religion in the face of all evidence that a girl is starving to death rather than that the spirit of the Catholic god is keeping her alive as one of his miracles. Nurse Wright’s change of heart as she comes to know Anna, from skeptical and angry at the fraudsters, to loving and frightened as the girl wastes away, is masterfully shown through interior monologue. 

With detailed scenes of Ireland only a few years after the Great Famine, two compelling main characters, and an unusual and mysterious plot, this is a fascinating and intriguing story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Grief, Medical content, Child abuse, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Child death, Colonisation, and Pedophilia

at806's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Child abuse, Suicide, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Excrement, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

Moderate: Rape

breeoxd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

3.75

Well, aside from the religious indoctrination commentary, and horrific descriptions of the pain a family and community can inflict on one little girl, this is an interesting look at what might have driven the Irish Catholics to revere the starving saints so much.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Death, and Child abuse