Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

50 reviews

meganpbell's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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

3.75

While there’s much to love about this book—its strong sense of place, its vast, lovable, diverse, and very human cast of characters, and its central message about community amid difference—religion, race, ability, class—I found it too structurally scattered to enjoy uninterruptedly and the author’s descriptions of women’s bodies (the number of times boobs and angelic singing occur smh) distracting to put it lightly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Ableism

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Infertility, Death, Death of parent, and Medical content

kimveach's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

3.5

This was an excellent book. I just didn't enjoy it. It felt slow and meandering at first. It eventually picked up the pace, and the various storylines came together for a thrilling ending. However, I spent most of the book wishing I had finished it. Once again, I must remember that just because a book is on a best-seller list doesn't mean I'll like it. I can appreciate this novel and even enjoyed parts of it, but I would have preferred this story as a mini-series to watch instead of reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Antisemitism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Vomit, Alcohol, Child death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence

purplepenning's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

In 1972, a construction crew finds a skeleton in the bottom of a well in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. But really, that's the end of the story. The real story takes place in the minority community of Chicken Hill in the 1930s, when Black and Jewish neighbors, estranged friends, quiet community protectors, well-intentioned hustlers, crooked public officials, morally diseased doctors, bankrolling mobsters, predatory monsters, and one deaf child intersect to reveal how an extraordinary community of communities came together to support and protect each other.     

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Chronic illness, Grief, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Mental illness, Excrement, Confinement, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Death of parent, and Infertility

ska1224's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

the author writes a lot about women's breasts and butts for certain. distracted from the story

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Cursing, Excrement, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Ableism

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Hate crime, Child abuse, Alcohol, Slavery, Fatphobia, Infertility, Murder, Body shaming, Death, Deportation, and Medical content

akira_vcat's review against another edition

1.0

I can see why people like this but my low rating is because this is simply not for me. Historically fiction can be hit or miss with me (like lessons in chemistry was a hit and this one a miss). I think I kept comparing it to lessons in chemistry because they are both historical fictions and they both have become boty. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual harassment, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, and Child abuse

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Confinement

Minor: Gun violence and Mass/school shootings

squintyfarmer's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Sexual violence, Racism, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Excrement, and Forced institutionalization

amhud1030's review against another edition

Too slow paced, wasn’t what I expected. I did not like the town doctor and when he crossed a line and took advantage of a woman who was passed out/comatose it was the last straw for me. 

The only reason I kept listening as long is because I really like the narrator. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Racism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism

mraddd's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Excrement, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Grief, Body horror, Racism, Rape, and Xenophobia

melissa_bee's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious slow-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: Sexual harassment, Grief, Confinement, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Ableism, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, and Racism

ashleyjean6's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.5

Both heartbreaking (lots of triggering content) and heartwarming. It's very much a story about people and expertly written. That said it was a difficult read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual violence, Violence, Infertility, Child abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Confinement, Death, Rape, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Antisemitism, Child death, and Sexual assault