Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

15 reviews

lets_book's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.25

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is an intriguing examination of the small town of Chicken Hill in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The narrative opens with Malachi, an old Jewish man, being questioned about a skeleton found in a well with items linked to him. From here, Malachi details how he came to know the local theatre owner Moshe and his wife Chona, owner of the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, the epicenter of a rich and diverse community. The couple help their friend, Nate, hide his nephew, Dodo, a deaf boy who lost his mother and whom the government is seeking to place into Pennhurst mental asylum. The arrangement  goes well until Dodo intervenes to protect Chona from an attack and ends up caught by the police. The aftermath of this climactic moment spans beyond the modest store, implicating all in the community who knew each of those present. Narratives are twisted by prejudice and cruel lies while the truth rests with those whose perspectives are dismissed by authorities for arbitrary assumptions. The story rounds off beautifully as these characters’ individual stories resolve and all that remains is the skeleton, which is only discovered years later and which holds the memory of that unique slice of time.

This is an extremely vague overview because I don’t want to spoil any major developments! I highly recommend you read this if you enjoy: 

• Heavy emphasis on characters and their relationships with one another. They are developed so meticulously and you understand more about how the town operates with these intertwined narratives. 
• Race relations and how they impact the outcome of a story. The tensions between white people and the Black and Jewish community play a significant role in how each character is perceived by one another. The injustice of what happens with Dodo reveals how power, control, and discrimination shape the outcome of a situation. We see one man with power upend the lives of the disadvantaged around him, all for his own sick motives.
• Witty and engaging dialogue. The conversations between these characters paint a picture of who they are. 
• Bleak situations balanced by lively characters, everyday depictions and humorous quips. 

I really enjoyed this book and while there are a lot of people and stories to keep track of, I took my time with it, immersing myself in the story and getting to know each of the characters. And wow, it was so worth it. Please do yourself a favor and pick this up. A week or two has passed since I’ve finished the book and I’m still thinking about it! 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Terminal illness

lexcellent's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? No

1.0

The premise was interesting and some parts were done well. However, I couldn't fully get into the book. It felt like McBride was trying to accomplish too much with this all the side plots, so quality was sacrificed at times. I also really wish there had been a warning about the pedophilia in the last part of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Racism, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, Death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Vomit, Confinement, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Rape, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Pedophilia

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

jade_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

This one is gonna sit with me for a WHILE. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Ableism, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Grief, and Medical trauma

amandalachelle's review

challenging mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Grief, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Excrement, Hate crime, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Racism, Murder, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, and Religious bigotry

booksandabackpack's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Pedophilia, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality

Minor: Infertility, Alcohol, and Excrement

mysteryspouse's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Ableism, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Body horror, Sexism, Violence, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Confinement, Rape, Colonisation, Death, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Cursing, Sexual violence, Medical content, Racism, Xenophobia, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Grief, Excrement, Mental illness, Police brutality, Death of parent, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Infertility and Slavery

abicaro17's review against another edition

This book is all over the place. I was over 50% of the way through the book and I still couldn't understand the plot. All the chapters were in different characters 3rd person pov and sometimes it would start in one pov and switch to another with no warning! I'm sure the end is great and super profound or whatever but I'm not reading 350 pages of nothing for the 40 pages of conclusion that makes it make sense. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Grief, Racism, Sexual assault, Death, Bullying, Fatphobia, Violence, Ableism, Body shaming, Confinement, Antisemitism, Chronic illness, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Blood, Racial slurs, Body horror, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

everamplify's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Medical trauma, Antisemitism, Rape, Grief, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Murder, Sexism, Death, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, and Racism

lyndsay_bibliophile's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

“The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store" is a unique story, highlighting the power of community and the strength of the human spirit. Its unconventional storytelling and character building with its satisfying ending was a joy to experience. This is a book for those who appreciate slow-burning character studies, intricate narratives, and the unique beauty of a story that defies traditional structure.

What sets this book apart is its patient, layered, non-linear approach to character development. McBride does a glorious job of weaving individual tales into a larger community story in a way that was deeply satisfying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, and Racism

Moderate: Death, Excrement, Classism, Confinement, Grief, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization