Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini

192 reviews

leahb88's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Wow what an amazing book. Reading the Trinidadian Creole took a moment to get used to, but it added so much! Alethea’s story is heartbreaking but I loved reflecting on her past and watching her grow in the present throughout the book. Highly recommend 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcoholism

lolibrary's review

dark inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Incest

dallastodd's review

challenging dark funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage

tiallie's review

challenging dark hopeful sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship

acecatlady's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Beautiful portrait of a woman hiding from her own abuse. Working to live a life that she can be proud of in the small corners she feels free, all while convincing herself that the pain she experiences in her relationships is just the way life is .... And then she lets herself open up, and then we get flashbacks and my god. It's so heart wrenching and perfectly written. This isn't anything close to my story, but there are tiny echoes of it in there and I loved this so much, I can't even explain it. 

I loved this so much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Domestic abuse

incest

stellalein's review

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

tough read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Incest, and Domestic abuse

naseerahl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

emilyrowanstudio's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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

5.0

This is a very unique book. A visceral, hard-hitting book about how abuse in child - to put it lightly - leads to an adulthood of domestic abuse and submittance to men's power over women. Our protagonist, Alethea, is not weak though. She is strong, independent, and the picture of resilience. How do you live a life without abuse if it's all you've ever known? Alethea is powerful in her own right, and the way she is Allen-Agostini will possibly always stay with me. 

I hadn't heard of The Bread the Devil Knead until it was recommended in an email from bookshop.org. I was drawn in by the title - what a title!! - followed by reviews on Goodreads saying what an immersively emotional read this was. It came as no surprise to me to find out this was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. The character and world building is phenomenal.

Told mostly in first person Trinidadian creole, interspersed with flashback chapters written in the third person, Alethea's voice is brought to life and I don't think i'll ever read another voice like hers. She never breaks, despite everything that's happened (happens) to her, and only does she come close as the story develops and horrors from her past become clearer and clearer. Take heed of the trigger warnings - incest, rape, and murder to name but a few. This is not an easy read but, if you can stomach it, you will be rewarded as this is ultimately a story about hope, and what comes next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Incest, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault

rebeccajlachance's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

josaphina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Incest, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Racism