Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

17 reviews

melchncookies's review

adventurous 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m not sure why, but this book took me forever to finish. That said, what an amazing work. As an adult reading a book on SA for a YA audience, I think this book is amazing. It deals with the unfortunate reality on reporting SA, death, rape-culture, justice, and power unchecked. I love a messy heroine, and Sade is that. 

The middle of the book was the most difficult to get through for me. I felt like the story could have moved along, but the end makes it clear why you had to read all of it. That said, the writing style was excellent. I have not read any other works by this author, and now they’ll go on my watch list.

I highly recommend reading this. It’s a little healing, even for adults.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Child death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Death

Moderate: Self harm, Mental illness, Addiction, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Murder

sariereads's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Murder, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Dementia

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.25

Took a while to get good, but when it did, it was really good. Hate books like this, but we need books like this. Need to keep exposing the light on toxic masculinity and toxic male privilege. Need to stop protecting boys behaving badly and start protecting our girls more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Misogyny, Alcohol, Bullying, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual harassment, Death, Murder, Child abuse, Stalking, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent

aliciaxingram's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Blood, Bullying, Sexual assault, Addiction, Murder, Rape, Suicide, and Child abuse

iridescentdreams's review

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Gaslighting, Rape, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Death, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Animal death

ckflaherty1's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Bullying, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexism, and Rape

For content warnings of sexual assault, the book does not graphically describe the incidents but does mention them and they are a plot point.

ghostlyprince's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Death, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, and Rape

Moderate: Addiction, Sexism, Stalking, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Confinement, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Drug use, Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Animal death, and Physical abuse

There's a scene where a pet hamster needs to go the hospital but it ends up fine

lausiusplau's review

dark hopeful inspiring mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Addiction, Bullying, Suicide, Death, Dementia, Gaslighting, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

shadeyc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional relaxing sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

3.75 
Well. That was intense. Oooooh did that give me the feels, and unsurprisingly made me mad at the patriachy all over again. 
I loved the beginning, that first chapter really got me, I'm always sucked in by Àbíké-Íyímídé's writing. But, and it's kind of a half hearted but, I did feel like this book went on a bit long. 
I was right there with Sade for most of it, and then I started getting tired. And then I got frsutrated, and then mad, and then tired again. 
I get the slow burn suspense is what drives this book, but I think the middle got a little bogged down, and we would still get hit by all th revelations and impact even if this was a little shorter. 
PS. Persephone for Prime Minister! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

I've put certain types of assault down as graphic because the impact of them feels that way. However, while the book deals with assault it is not explictly graphic, the discussion of or act is generally talked of, not detailed.

behindherpages's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, and Homophobia

Minor: Addiction