Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

37 reviews

rhi_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Blood, and Body horror

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

nicolescottwv's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abandonment

tahsintries's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood and Child abuse

Minor: Fatphobia

twistykris's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

This novella delves more into Jack and Jill's backstory, which was briefly mentioned in the first book.

It was interesting to hear how their personalities evolved when they were growing up around their parents vs when they were in Their World. 

A very dark, compelling continuation of the Wayward children, and I can't wait to continue the series.

This book

made me hate Jill even more because of what she did to Alexis, her sister's lover. I really wanted to empathize with her desire to be wanted and appreciated but UGH she's terrible..

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Bullying, Fatphobia, and Medical content

takarakei's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

This book focuses on the back stories of Jack and Jill - two characters from book 1. I really loved how gender roles were explored (and critiqued).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Fatphobia

Much of the book deals with Jack and Jill's parents forcing them into gender specific 'roles'. While neither character is trans, they are both girls who are not allowed to be true to themselves. Adult/minor relationship -

while I don't believe there is explicitly anything sexual between Jill and 'the master' (who is a vampire) there's def a power imbalance/ ick-factor in their relationship

maeverose's review against another edition

3.25

I wanted more from the gothic setting and the vampire and mad scientist characters. I wanted more atmosphere and worldbuilding. Ofc it’s a novella but not a lot happens in it. It focuses too much on their childhood before they find their door, and once they get there it felt like it sped through and summarized so much of what happened. There were even parts where the author said ‘This part would be dull/unnecessary to explain so let’s just fast forward’. It felt like she couldn’t really think of where to take the story up until the end we already learned about in the first book. My rating is mostly for the concepts and the pretty writing. We also learned a bit more about how the doors work,

and I’d really like to know how Dr Bleak figured out how to conjure them.

The setting was cool but we didn’t get to see enough of it. I’m hoping we do in the other book from this world.

I read the first book so I knew how it would end, but I didn’t like how they got there. I hate the message of ‘family is family and somewhere deep down you love them no matter what unforgivably horrible things they’ve done to you’, and this kinda had that. It made no sense to me how Jack could have any love for her sister after what she did, especially considering she never got along with her to begin with. The author tried to explain why Jack did it, but I didn’t feel like she really succeeded at that. It seemed like it was only written that way for the plot to go in a certain direction. Also because their abusive parents are never redeemed, it almost felt hypocritical.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Ableism, Blood, Classism, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia

Toxic masculinity, depictions of germaphobia ocd, a situation similar to grooming

nenaveenstra's review

adventurous dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I liked this book more than the first one, because it really felt like it had a true beginning and ending. I liked learning more about Jack and Jill, however I do think that a lot of information in here is just a more detailed version of what is said in the first book. I wish it was longer so I could learn more about the Moors. I'd like to get lost in this world, but we only get to see a glimpse of it. (I sense this is going to be a theme.)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Child abuse

Minor: Fatphobia

theborky's review

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse

francestea's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? N/A

4.0

Really enjoyed this peek into Jack and Jill’s time in the Moors. It’s as dark -but also more beautiful- than I’d imagined. Similar vibe to the first book: hopeful yet tragic and incredibly readable. I’ll definitely continue with the series. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

Minor: Blood and Murder

gayledayle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

As an identical twin, there are several passages, especially in the first quarter, that made me nearly cry with a sense of recognition. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Murder

75% of the book is spent in a world that is described as belonging in a classic horror movie, so while none of the 'moderate' warnings are main focuses, they are pervasive throughout the background. The emotional abuse is primarily in the first quarter, and is a main focus.