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bryanneashley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Suicide and Domestic abuse
Minor: Infertility
emmagreenwood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Abandonment, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Islamophobia, Alcohol, Sexual violence, and Suicide
lemonsaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit, Violence, Death, Cancer, Death of parent, Suicide, Racial slurs, Miscarriage, Torture, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Animal death, Classism, Religious bigotry, Infertility, Gun violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Bullying, and Blood
rachjy's review
- 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
Moderate: Bullying, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Classism, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide
heatherjchin's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Racism, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Abandonment, Sexism, Murder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, and Child abuse
Minor: Terminal illness, Animal death, Infidelity, Self harm, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Slavery, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Suicide
korpney's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexism, Animal cruelty, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse and Suicide
dconlon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Torture, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Animal cruelty, Gore, and Excrement
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The main character, Geeta, is a social pariah in her village because her abusive husband left her five years prior to the start of the novel and they all think that she murdered him. She never confirms or denies this because it means people leave her alone while at the same time, buys from her jewelry business because they don't want to piss off the woman because heaven forbid she come after them! It all starts spiraling out of her control when one of the women of the village comes to her and asks her for help in killing her abusive husband. The Bandit Queen of the title references the Real Life Bandit Queen, Phoolan Devi and she is talked about repeatedly in the book for the sake of making parallels to the MC. I strongly suggest looking up her life story, it is so interesting.
As you can see, the story has a lot to do with misogyny, domestic abuse, the patriarchy that plagues a lot of areas of India. There's a lot of classism spoken on in the book as well. Parini Shroff is able to make a reader both laugh and wince at what the MC and her found family (yes, this one has a found family trope!) go through.
Okay, I know I'm praising the book but why the lower rating? Because there's some ableism and fatphobia/fat-shaming that happens that is mostly just super glossed over or played for laughs. The MC uses it to insult her best friend turned enemy turned ally again and although afterward, she apologizes for her behavior, the fat-phobic jokes/insult still keep coming well into the end of the book. I feel like the author could have done a way better job addressing those issues because even if the book focuses heavily on sexism and domestic abuse/SA, I don't think ableism or body-shaming should EVER be used as comic relief. Because of this, honestly, I cannot recommend the book, but if you decide to read it, you will learn about another culture, but keep in mind all the trigger warnings as well as topics that Shroff could have done better. I would suggest keep an Internet search bar open as well because while I'm from India and understood all the foreign words and customs, readers might not because not everything is explained fully in the book.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Islamophobia, Drug use, Fatphobia, Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Suicide
bookish_afrolatina's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Toxic friendship, Murder, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny, Gaslighting, Classism, and Fatphobia
Minor: Ableism, Rape, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Islamophobia, and Infertility
amyw2's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Classism, Domestic abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Infertility, Bullying, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Suicide