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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Significant domestic violence and child abuse; depicted from a child's perspective
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief adult content involving abuse
Substance Use
Barely any
Heavy parental alcohol use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Extreme psychological weight; the child narrator's limited understanding of events makes the horror more profound
What this book is about
Eight-year-old Carrie narrates a story of two sisters coping with a violent, alcoholic stepfather in rural North Carolina. Elizabeth Flock's literary debut is told with devastating simplicity through Carrie's child perspective — and builds to a revelation about Emma that reframes everything that came before. Among the most difficult and most accomplished first novels about child abuse.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Severe child abuse and domestic violence
Extreme psychological weight
Devastating ending
Reader Verification
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