Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

50 reviews

maddiet425's review against another edition

slow-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

2.5

I wanted so badly to like this book, and there were parts of it that I absolutely loved. However, there were too many characters, all with their own complex backstories for any growth or development to occur. I found that this made the story quite slow and boring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

mizheatherhunter's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Fell in love with this book and the path a community took to create and ensure a future for a child. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Rape, Pedophilia, and Religious bigotry

jordymyers's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Antisemitism, Racism, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

vdspreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

I was really looking forward to reading this "slice of life" story. I did like the storytelling, but it was so slow. I think I wanted a pace more like Remarkably Bright Creatures or Practical Magic. To me, even though the explanations and history were needed, the pace was just too slow for me. 

The insight into the period, different cultures/customs, and how people interacted is fascinating. I thought I was going to be taken by the relationship between Dodo and Chona. It was the glimmer of humanity that Dodo and Monkeypants found that kept me reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Classism, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, and Death of parent

zombiezami's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

I read McBride's memoir about himself and his Jewish mom years ago. It's wonderful to see how, in addition to research, he clearly pulled from aspects of his upbringing in crafting this book. I will say that, although I liked the connection to USAmericans being on stolen land, this would have been a stronger theme if there were any indigenous characters, which there weren't, as far as I remember.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Excrement, Sexual assault, Confinement, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Child death, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Cancer, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Medical content, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Stalking, Grief, Cursing, and Outing

Moderate: Mental illness, Colonisation, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Alcohol, and Misogyny

Minor: War and Slavery

mselvis's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.0

Nothing happens in this story for 2/3 of book.  Extreamly boring.  I hated how I felt reading this book.  I did not want to be on Chicken Hill or meet any of the charaters. The amount of repetition in this book, made it unreadable.  How many POV must be explored for the same events?  I get how eastern and western european jews do not get along, how blacks and jews tolerated each other, but mistrusted each other.  You still have to have a story.  The skeleton in well was mentioned on first pages, but not again for over 300 pages.  I would not recommend this to anyone.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Murder

knittingceliac's review against another edition

emotional slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

Overall a compelling story, with plenty of detail of life for Jewish and African Americans in the early 20th century. Story was slow moving and had such a wide cast of characters that I had a hard time keeping track, and ultimately felt unsatisfied by the ending. Some very poignant scenes of friendship and love are the most redeeming elements of this book for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Racism, Rape, and Forced institutionalization

betzine's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful inspiring fast-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

This one is a slow burn, but it’s an exquisitely crafted novel that comes together in a deeply moving, satisfying conclusion. James McBride has a gift for capturing America’s complex beauty— largely by depicting its profound ugliness with unabashed frankness. This is a novel that will stay with me forever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Violence, Infertility, Murder, Antisemitism, Excrement, Ableism, Misogyny, Medical content, Racism, Sexual harassment, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

izzymow's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Racism, Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Child death, and Rape

tinamanderson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Racism, Child abuse, and Death