Reviews tagging 'Incest'

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

17 reviews

cheriejanette's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.5

What a feel good story! I loved this, and I even got a bit teary eyed 🥺🥹 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Child death, and Chronic illness

Minor: Child abuse, Bullying, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

dkamada's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Really sweet story, seems like it’s targeted at a slightly younger audience, but I appreciate a feel good story where everyone gets their wish in the end

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Death, Incest, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Miscarriage

l1brarygirl's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

• 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

1.5

 1.5 stars - I did shed a tear for that extra half a star....

I wasn't too aware of what this book was about and I read so many thrillers, that I kept expecting a twist that never came. I could NOT connect with the MC Lucy at all and it made it very difficult to stay engaged. I also just was creeped out by a lot of the adults actions in this book. 

I think Jack's actions were fatherly in the end but for most of it, I just was kinda icked out by his actions. I couldn't get over Lucy's obsession with Christopher (highly inappropriate behavior for a teacher). The weird attraction between Lucy & Hugo (I'm okay with large age gaps but not when you first meet your SO as a CHILD). I also think Lucy was very unfair to her sister and completely glossed over her grandparents taking care of her. Also a slap in the face that everyone else in this story got a HEA except her sister.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Bullying, Child abuse, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcoholism, Incest, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy

maddiehansen's review

fast-paced

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

2.5

The book was a more positive version of The Westing Game, but not executed as well. The depiction of the foster care system did not seem quite accurate, the relationship between a teacher's aid and a student was not safe, Capri-sun is clear, it covered many deep issues with mere mentions (miscarriage, PTSD, addiction, trauma, foster care system, adoption, rape, incest, abuse, alcoholism, miscarriage, poverty, disability, abandonment etc). It needed more research.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Pedophilia, Cancer, Death of parent, Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, and Death

squintyfarmer's review

adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child abuse and Incest

gpfot's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Minor: Rape, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Incest, and Miscarriage

kuharski990's review

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Incest, and Miscarriage

jandkpeek's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Child abuse

Minor: Incest

jesssalexander's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

This is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory if JK Rowling were Willy Wonka and wrote more like Lemony Snicket and the prize was the only edition  of a final book in the series. 

Overall it was really enjoyable, I really liked Jack and Hugo but the main character, Lucy, grated on my nerves. She was too prideful and unforgiving to ask for help, at the expense of the boy she was trying to adopt. The pain of her past impeded her from moving forward with her life. And she was too wishful and unrealistic to think up a workable plan for fostering. I was very sympathetic to the annoyingly upbeat social worker I guess. Oh and I did love her friend Teresa. 

I will say this was an odd mix of being a whimsical cozy read and having some jarring adult content. On the one hand it has all the bookish requirements: atmospheric and fantastical setting, thin and eccentric old man,  cats and knitting, warm fuzzy feelings about novels. On the other hand, there is a reference to child rape which I thought was out of place and didn’t truly advance the plot and some drug and alcohol abuse references. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Pedophilia and Incest

fkshg8465's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

4.0

A friend recently asked for a recommendation for a feel-good book. Told her to read this one. Definitely a warm and fuzzy, and everything gets tied in a nice bow, though there are a few story strands that probably weren’t necessary. I really liked the lawyer character, even though she really only had a small supporting role.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, and Addiction