Reviews tagging 'Rape'

When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff

116 reviews

kberman20's review

challenging sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

not sure how I feel about this one. Felt like the child sexual assault was brushed over along with how serious his crimes were due to the focus being on Billy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism and Addiction

torturedpoetlakes's review

i’m aware i stopped reading this book very early but the writing style just isn’t appealing to me. i really wanted to give this book a try even though i was a bit hesitant to even pick it up based on the synopsis. maybe i will try to read it again in the future, but it just isn’t for me right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape

saxrinet's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.5

A complex yet accurate description of the power of privilege.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Classism

jensynaw's review

dark

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape

Moderate: Pedophilia and Child abuse

born_reading's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

,

rape,  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Incest, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Rape, Violence, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Death of parent, Cursing, and Adult/minor relationship

katealli's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence

meghanmccall's review

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Incest

lisefri's review

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

Minor: Death of parent

jmdisbrow'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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Violence

belleslibrary1012's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

As someone who has always loved print, I failed to see or understand the appeal of audiobooks. Then, I had a baby who turned into a toddler and I realized if I wanted adequate reading time for myself, I was going to have to put books in my ears. This is my second one ever and I will say the narrator really does make or break a story in an audiobook. This narrator was incredible and sucked me in whether in the kitchen, at the store, or amidst a hailstorm of flying toys and loud noises.

I will also say I never truly understood the need for trigger warnings because don't you know what you're reading already? Why is it necessary? This book drastically and forever changed that for me, given it did not have one and absolutely should. The author does a tremendous job don't get me wrong, but she purposefully buries the lead and heads the reader off to expect what they see in front of them as the focal point and that is just not true. The true crime in this crime story is not the one written in the back cover blurb, but instead lies just above the words, pulling you in and then just when you start to believe it, takes it away making you think you're reading into things. This was sad and tragic and beautiful and terrifying in so many ways. Though it is not a book I can revisit again, it is one that was very well written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence