Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

52 reviews

aimeeactually's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Rape, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Domestic abuse, Outing, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Cursing, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Infertility, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Racial slurs, Classism, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment

readwithash's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Body shaming, Murder, and Cursing

Moderate: Alcohol

bookswithbeea's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, and Murder

patchworkninja's review against another edition

challenging funny inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Infertility, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Body shaming, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Classism

jtpgdavey's review against another edition

dark funny fast-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: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Grief, Addiction, and Gun violence

danielle_sips_tea's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful mysterious fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Murder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Bullying, Suicide, Gun violence, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

runefactories's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying and Animal cruelty

schnaucl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

4.5

This was a well told story about a woman whose husband left her but the village thinks she murdered him. Consequently she's been socially isolated.  But then women trapped in their own abusive marriages come to her for advice on getting rid of their husbands.  

The characters were compelling and the setting vivid.   

Shroff does a good job of showing how abusers work, systematically isolating people from their support network. 

And how easy it is to fall back into old patterns without realizing it.  She also does a good job showing how things can be self reinforcing.   Geeta is socially isolated by the villagers at first but reinforces it herself in later years.  Patterns of all kinds are hard to break.

I could have done without the focus on a Solani's weight at the beginning and throughout though.

She also does a good job showing that when people want to play savior, the consequences of trying to change the system often fall on the very people they're trying to save.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Murder, Misogyny, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infertility, Rape, and Religious bigotry

lucylou's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual assault, Bullying, Violence, and Physical abuse

Minor: Suicide

sedgewren's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book — it was an absolute romp! It had a rambunctious cast of characters, a tight and brilliant plot, a light-hearted and genuinely funny tone that balanced a critique of patriarchy, sexism, the caste system, lookism, religion, aid in India, the idea of a sisterhood, and empowerment. It's the kind of book that I wish I could write.

(very mild spoilers ahead)

The characters were ingenious, compelling and vibrant; I loved reading it from Geeta's perspective despite (although this truly added to her believability) her frustrating moments and unreliable narrator-ness (but don't we all rewrite the past to turn ourselves into the main protagonist of our own narrative?)

tl;dr: READ THIS BOOK (read the content warnings first, to make sure it's right for you of course!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Body shaming, Bullying, Addiction, Death, Alcohol, Animal death, Misogyny, and Rape

Minor: Child abuse