Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Becoming by Nora Roberts

4 reviews

madamenovelist's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Fantasy has an unfortunate history of utilizing antisemitic blood libel (kidnapping/killing children) trope. It features heavily in this book. I don’t think La Nora is aware this trope’s roots are antisemitic and I respect the hell out of her writing. But the blood libel bit knocked this book from 3.5 to 2.75 for me.

purplepenning's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexism and Pregnancy

k_bb's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

4.0

I really enjoy the escapism of this series. It's not remarkable literature. Some of the characters are flat and the descriptions cheesy. But I enjoy the escapism.

I appreciate that none of the most endearing characters die.

I will probably read it again before the last book comes out, which I did with the first book and enjoyed it just as much the second time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse

mxm0290's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

3.5

I think I'm going to really love this series when it's finished.

While the first book had a lot of good character development and world building, it dragged for me and didn't really stand on its own. It was all exposition and set up.

In that sense, book 2 is much better. There is enough happening to keep the plot moving, and enough characters to give you the slower, personal moments without dragging. It did a good job of recapping book 1 without bogging you down in it and has good lead in to book 3 without leaving you with a massive cliffhanger.

So, like I said, I think I'm going to love the series, but for me it seems like it is going to one of those where the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy