Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

4 reviews

phoebees's review

challenging dark emotional slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gore, Murder, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Rape, and Cursing

amyvcaroline's review

Went from Handmaid's Tale-esque plot to

wilderness survival

. Nothing had really happened for the last 50 pages so gave up

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse

frogglin's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? No

4.0

Waking in a dusty, crumbling building, Verna has no idea how she got there or why. In the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Australia, she and a group of other women have found themselves drugged and imprisoned. It's not until she connects the dots - high profile affairs, sexual assaults - that she realised they are there to be punished for their actions, and for being the kind of women who get involved in sex (either willingly or otherwise). Dressed in heavy, old fashioned clothes they are put to work in the compound. The threat of a belting or a kick to the stomach ever present. 

As the group decays, and the staff there to keep them in line start to fall apart, there is a strong sense of desperation. The losses of their previous lives and the inward turning minds of the women add a layer of sadness to the struggle and panic. The book is set in the here and now, it is not a mysterious dystopian future, it is a dystopian present.

It is hard to continue in places, the descriptions of injuries and the gutting of rabbits are detailed, but somehow this horror adds more than it takes away from the story.

If I had to sum it up in one word, that word would be "brutal". But it is also compelling, and one I suspect will stay with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexual assault and Suicide

liliesofthevalley's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Great book with a confusing and unsatisfying ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Violence