Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini

74 reviews

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

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

zzara's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

This book is beautiful and horrific, it was both easy to read and one of the hardest things I've ever read. It tells the story of a light-skinned Trinidadian woman who is suffering domestic abuse, and unpacking a life of abuse starting as a small child.

Over the course of the book, she discovers that she is the child of incest, and her uncle who is also her father, also raped her throughout her childhood and impregnated her.

I'm so heartbroken by this story, it's so horrific and yet it didn't strike me as gratuitous in its violence, abuse and atrocity. It served a purpose in telling a story about a woman who struggles through and tried to process and accept such a difficult past. I also loved that the narration of the book was in Trinidadian Creole. I thought it was so rhythmic, so reading this book felt like being underwater and just processing the words. So many of the adjectives that I wasn't familiar with still felt like such perfect descriptors. This book is a hard read, and has graphic descriptions of

physical abuse, child sexual abuse and incest

, but was still well worth the read. I would highly recommend, but only if you're feeling emotionally stable - this book is one giant trigger warning and content wise a very difficult and heavy read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Incest, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Vomit

drapetomaniac's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Gun violence, Rape, Child abuse, Death, and Sexual assault

tunatanga's review

challenging dark hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

A very hard book to read, but 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Incest, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion

mirireads's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, Rape, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Grief, Murder, Infidelity, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racism, and Classism

Minor: Infertility, Excrement, Death of parent, Drug use, Miscarriage, Blood, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Stalking, and Vomit

stuffinmybrainhole's review

challenging dark emotional 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, Rape, Miscarriage, Infertility, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Incest, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Alcohol

catnip919's review

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

4.0

This was an eye-opening read which tackled many difficult themes and topics (mainly domestic, sexual and child abuse). Alethea was an incredible protagonist who overcame so much. My heart broke for her. It is truly terrifying and sad to think that her story is reality for many women. A thought provoking, challenging and ultimately redemptive story that I would recommend for someone looking for a serious and substantive read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

my_plant_library's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, and Death

margarethobbs's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Child abuse