Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

46 reviews

trinamarie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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

What an amazing book. One I will be thinking about for quite some time. 

We meet Geeta and her ‘cadre of vengeful women’ in a small village in India.  Events unfold and she becomes embroiled in the business of plotting the murder of abusive husbands. 
global challenges of women’s lives and the power of female friendships.
Its wickedly and darkly funny black humour, “feminist revenge thriller” that explores heavy themes and “scourges of domestic abuse, gender/religious/caste ostracization and patriarchy” but without getting weighed down by it all. In fact the opposite, finish feeling hopeful and inspired. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, and Sexual harassment

readsbyrobyn's review against another edition

dark funny 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Racism, and Domestic abuse

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Death, and Infidelity

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Racism, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

emlilley's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

This book is a really interesting window into the cultural layers of a small town in India, and the ongoing struggles around caste and progress, as well as the lives of women in a society that can kind of put them against each other, but what beautiful solidarity and strength happen when they chart their own path. There are some dark and hard elements to this story but also humor and hope too, and it’s an engaging tale of Justice. At times the story dragged a bit or seemed disjointed, or it would have received an even higher score.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Racism, Rape, and Violence

amandas_bookshelf's review

adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Domestic abuse, Murder, Racism, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Classism, Cursing, Grief, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, Racial slurs, Gore, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Police brutality and Animal cruelty

smblanc1793's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.5

The premise—“Who’s more invisible than [middle-aged housewives]? We can get away with murder. Literally.”—is strong, and it maintains a heavy presence throughout the novel, a clear thesis statment that the story certainly substantiates (in it’s own highly quixotic way.) 

 

The overall result is enjoyable, if not slightly discordant. The dialogue is as often quippy and smart as it is distractingly kooky. The balance between serious discussions of oppression and domestic abuse sometimes fall in step with and sometimes grate clumsily against the outlandish slapstick comedy of it all. It was not perfect—it could have been funnier when it was funny; it could have been more impactful in its moments of consequence—but it was still enjoyable, full of memorable characters, surprising twists, and a taste of culture and setting that I rarely see represented on the page.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexism