Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

The Strangers by Katherena Vermette

6 reviews

lillypowell's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Addiction, and Child death

Moderate: Alcohol, Abortion, Drug use, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Colonisation and Pandemic/Epidemic

markedwithanm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

alisonburnis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

3.75

The Strangers doesn’t hold back, laying bare trauma, substance use, abuse, assault, incarceration, foster care, and even more pain. Loosely connected to Vermette’s novel The Break, this is a companion, diving more into the life of Phoenix from the first book, and her family. 

Vermette is excellent at taking trauma and tragedy and making it a story of love and hope. The Strangers isn’t as tight as The Break, and it touches on the pandemic in a way that didn’t work for me (possibly because I’m not ready yet), but it is still a solid book, asking questions about trauma and evading simple judgment or providing answers. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

francestea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow, this book did not disappoint. It’s just as good as The Break (maybe even better) with a few overlapping characters that I liked catching up with. Vermette can really write.  Her characters are sympathetic -in that they are likeable (or at least understandable)- and incredibly well rounded. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Child death

Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death and Death of parent

sarah984's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

I was a little bit hesitant going into this one because I was worried it might turn into a sort of "redemption arc" for Phoenix where she's suddenly not at fault anymore for the part she played in the events of The Break. I really enjoyed it, though.

At its heart, this is a book about mothers and daughters, and the way people try (and sometimes fail) to connect. The characters all have unique voices (though I don't get why some were first person and some were third person) and perspectives. It was interesting to read about the same events from the wildly differing points of view of two characters who were both there. There were a few parts that felt kind of like they were included to check off a list (one character’s abortion felt a little "okay I haven't included this experience yet" for me).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Alcohol, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Vomit

hannah2186's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad slow-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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Violence