Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle

18 reviews

mandy172's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, and Suicide attempt

popgoesthereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

An incredibly heart wrenching but important story, this one has been on my list for a while and I see why it has so much acclaim. Jesse Thistle is an expert storyteller, detailing in brutal detail his struggles and triumphs as a deeply broken man, in a system stacked against him who somehow found his way out. Themes of generational trauma and indigeneity are front and center in this story. I think that this story is an important one for all Canadians to read to understand many of the struggles plaguing our society right now, the overdose and homelessness crises along with the deep scars of our longstanding relationship with indigenous people in this country. Thistle holds nothing back, describing in detail the many hardships of his upbringing, the mistakes he made that led him to a life on the streets, and the hopelessness of addiction. It's a brutal and at times difficult read but you never stop rooting for his redemption and when it finally comes it's an emotional crescendo that keeps you hooked. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Death of parent, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Abandonment, Racism, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse

evandaniel's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A wonderful reminder of perseverance and hope. Very honest and raw, Jesse’s story hits the hardest for me when he experiences profound loss. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Colonisation, Cursing, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Alcohol, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Alcoholism

Minor: Terminal illness, Alcohol, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Cursing, Xenophobia, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Grief, Toxic friendship, Blood, Cancer, Medical content, Murder, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

carly_the_librarian's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Rape

brookeasmith17's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

This book is incredibly honest and raw. It deals with difficult topics such as addiction, homelessness, abandonment and abuse, but it is a story about survival, mistakes, wisdom and finding your way home. It’s an extremely moving read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Medical trauma, Violence, and Child abuse

cemeterygay's review against another edition

emotional reflective

5.0

I can't add much more other than it was an incredibly emotional read. If you're in the right emotional headspace I would absolutely recommend reading it. Especially if you are native, I would recommend taking care of yourself while reading this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Bullying

kelly_e's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Title: From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way
Author: Jesse Thistle
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.5 
Pub Date: August 6 2019

T H R E E • W O R D S

Honest • Eye-opening • Important

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Abandoned by his parents as a child, From the Ashes is a memoir from Jesse Thistle, a Canadian Métis-Cree. After a stay in the foster care system, Jesse and his brother landed in the care of their paternal grandparents. Having endured his painful past, Jesse succumbed to addiction, petty crime and life on the streets. In a moment of clarity, Jesse knew he would die if he continued on the path he was on. A story of heartbreak and perseverance, of prejudice and racism, of Indigenous culture and education.

💭 T H O U G H T S

From the Ashes is a special book, and one of the most honest memoirs I've ever read. Filled with trauma and struggle, it's also filled with love and hope. Thistle gives incredible insight into addiction, homelessness, and indigenous culture and discrimination. It is my hope that this book will help open people's eyes, to empathize, to show compassion to those people who are afflicted with the disease of addiction, and to those who face trauma leading to undesirable circumstances. Jesse is a gifted storytellers and has filled this memoir with emotion delivering a story which will make you look at the world differently. My one wish would have been to have gained a little more knowledge and an more in depth look into Jesse's Indigenous roots.

If there is a book with a more powerful dedication, I have yet to come across it. Thistle pays tribute to the families of all those lost and missing Indigenous people, those robbed of their Indigenous identity through residential school or cultural erasure, and to those whose lives have been damaged by colonization.

A extremely raw and difficult, yet moving and inspiring story of resilience this should be essential reading for all Canadians.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• All Canadians!
• Fans of memoirs
• Readers looking to expand their understanding

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Mom used to think I was mute, but I could speak fine, I just chose not to. My words belonged to me, they were the only thing I had that were mine, and I didn't trust anyone enough to share them."

"All us criminals start out as normal people just like anyone else, but then things happen in life that tear us apart, that makes us into something capable of hurting other people. That's all any of the darkness really is—just love gone bad. We're just broken-hearted people hurt by life." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Suicide

substance misuse, homelessness

annabunce's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Medical content

Moderate: Abandonment

kyanite's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Abandonment

ladev12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Vomit