Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

269 reviews

jaxboiler's review against another edition

sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I had no clue what this book was about when I requested it from the library.  I saw it on the bestseller rack at Barnes and Noble so I put my name on the list at the library.  It is not my normal type of story but it was still an interesting read.  

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry and Racism

jt793's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Cursing, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Classism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Death, Antisemitism, Rape, Racism, Pedophilia, and Hate crime

Minor: Infertility and Alcohol

katosta8815's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-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

2.0

This book was not my favorite. The writing was overly descriptive and made way too much fluff. The chapters did not flow together well, and each scene change felt very abrupt. There were way too many characters to keep track of, and not enough time given to the MCs. New characters were being introduced even in the last few chapters, which was obnoxious.

All of the deaths were underwhelming and written in a confusing way — two of them were beloved characters, and I didn’t even feel sad when they died because I simply didn’t realize what happened. The third death was so incredibly random, and didn’t feel like justice at all.

Read the trigger warnings, and be prepared for it to be worse than what you’re anticipating.

Overall, from start to finish, the story itself was beautiful, but challenging. Some of the subject matter made me put the book down and walk away for a few days. But I liked the ending. I just didn’t like the way it was written, and probably won’t revisit this author.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, and Racism

dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

This book was something else. While I don’t really read a whole lot of historical fiction and that I thought the pacing at first was pretty slow, I was captivated by McBride’s storytelling of the residents in Chicken Hill. Capturing the various points of intersectionality in terms of race, social class, and disability (just to name a few), McBride’s stories of the African American and Jewish residents who live in Pottstown’s Chicken Hill is both heartbreaking yet hopeful.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Medical content, Ableism, and Child death

Minor: Infertility, Death of parent, Excrement, and Abandonment

leahisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Ableism, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, and Rape

yeast_beast's review against another edition

hopeful reflective 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Medical trauma

Minor: Sexual assault

chewy__stuff's review against another edition

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Grief, Confinement, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Excrement, and Child abuse

Minor: Death of parent

ajhill24's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Complex characters, multi-layered plot, engaging setting, and talented writing. It is a slow start, and occasionally tries too hard to be philosophical, which comes up forced. But I will be reading more from this author. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia

Minor: Sexual assault

carliedikes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Sexual assault

qirhh's review against another edition

informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment