Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

18 reviews

j3mm4's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

This book is so beautifully written, simultaneously frank and evocative, and its structural and stylistic play is so engaging and works so well. Tita as a protagonist is so accessible and compelling, and I really felt for her struggle to overcome her mother's cruelty and eldest sister's callousness and find a way to live her life for herself. This book is fabulous. I need to not only rewatch the adaptation but also seek out Esquivel's screenwriting oeuvre.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse

tokki_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

mals_reads's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

there’s a lot to like and dislike about this book.

firstly, i did enjoy the prose and how it read quite a bit. it was whimsical and it read like a fairy tale to me. i thought the way the author intertwined the recipes within each chapter was delightful and made me want to test them out myself!

i think there were a lot of faults with many of the characters. i think it’s meant to be read as a fast-paced melodramatic story, and i’m not mad about that, but so many of the characters were so unlikable to me. many of them acted so childishly — i think Tita was the only one who even had the right to act in that way considering her circumstances. i might have disliked Pedro the most, unfortunately, given he’s the primary love interest.

and i would have really loved John if it weren’t for the fact that he was so much older than Tita!

i read this for a book group and am very much looking forward to the conversation — definitely a book that can carry its weight in a discussion!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: War, Fatphobia, and Physical abuse

kaiaconstantinides's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

2.5

I loved how the food was affected and affected others based on Tita's emotions or their relationship with Tita (e.g., Mama Elena finding food prepared with Tita's care bitter). In general, I appreciated the novelty (novelty for me at least, I'm not sure if other books out there do this as well) of having each chapter centered around a recipe that is interwoven with the story. I mostly enjoyed the first half of the book. 

I was confused by the decision to make each chapter a month since years sometimes separate chapters and the months don't seem to correspond to the chapter, unless perhaps each recipe corresponds to a month and I just missed that? I really wish there was better character development: the characters felt almost cartoonishly two-dimensional to me, and any development seemed to happen like the switch of a lightbulb.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Rape

ubereads11's review against another edition

fast-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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and War

Minor: Rape

mangopassion555's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Rape, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity

phantomgecko's review against another edition

emotional informative lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a quick read, and I enjoyed it.

I am disappointed that Tita didn't choose John, tbh. Lusty passion and jealousy should always lose out to serenity and compassionate devotion. But whatevs fine.

I just really love magical realism. Here are some things that are impossible, but this is a true story so they happened. Great stuff.

I'll admit I mostly skimmed the cooking bits. But honestly, they were a fantastic device for storytelling.

Also, while this book is labeled as lighthearted, it had some heavy stuff. Like gut punches in one sentence and moving on with the next. Kinda disconcerting but still a likeable read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Blood, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Animal death, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury

damacyroll's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-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

3.5

Like Water for Chocolate is the perfect example of magical realism blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. The fantastical nature of the everyday is highlighted in every chapter, and that alone makes the writing a joy to read. 

The strong theme of cooking, and that each chapter is based on a different recipe, was also something I enjoyed. I found myself wanting to make note of each recipe to try for myself, although without the powers of Tita's to influence whatever dish she makes my results will probably be much different. 

In terms of plot however, maybe because I can't help but it read it from a 21st century point a view, there were specific plot points that I didn't enjoy. Pedro the male lead is that specific kind of intense dominant male that I no longer find myself falling for. Tita's decisions frequently left me frustrated as I felt that they were the wrong choices, but another person just as well might find them the right ones.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Child death, and Death

izzytheniffler's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Death of parent and Fatphobia

Minor: Rape and Child death

karol99's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Hard for me to complete it because I read it in Spanish, but once I got the hang of it I really enjoyed it. It always surprised me and had me engaged in the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Child death, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Grief, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Violence, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Abandonment

Minor: Physical abuse