Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Strangers by Katherena Vermette

12 reviews

haileydonna's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcoholism, Abortion, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

hannah_mck's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence

tlaynejones's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Child death, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Grief, Pregnancy, Racism, and Mental illness

birdiful's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Suicide

desarroi's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Racism, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Child death, Death, and Sexism

dnlrbchd's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Abortion, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, War, Violence, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Minor: Colonisation, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

markedwithanm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

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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

emmasbookishself's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

A beautiful companion novel to The Break. 

There is an abundance of loss, inter generational trauma and pain but if you look closely this book is so full of love, hope and resilience. 

These characters make you feel right along with them, and you hope for them as they navigate their pains. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

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. 

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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. 

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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