Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

53 reviews

jotee76's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful medium-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

4.25

I liked that issues relating to the caste system were highlighted as well as honour based violence and treatment of women in India.  However,  I get a sense that the author was writing this with view to being made into a film, with elements of the narrative becoming farcical, bordering on slapstick,  which was a bit distracting.  Overall, I enjoyed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Death, Rape, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infertility, and Racial slurs

dale_in_va's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

Not for the weak minded... this book is disturbing, but in a good way.  A really entertaining book about a really complicated set of issues.   This is a dark comedy is a way to make you smile through "darkness and absurdity of life" (author's quote).  I find the words of the author's note sums it up "“Fiction is when research meets compassion.  I believe that this is why facts don’t change people’s minds, but stories do”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Rape, and Blood

Minor: Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Kidnapping

This book is a "fantasy" about female empowerment in a patriarchal society. Readers need to have the sophistication to understand that the absurdity presented here is a way to grant people agency in a society that doesn't value them. It can leave the reader with an existential discomfort with the issues that it raises.

thetearex's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Mental illness, Rape, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Infertility, Islamophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Violence

banana_hutch's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This book was such a thrill-ride. Once the action started, it did NOT stop. At no point was I ready for the thing that happened next. This book does such a wonderful job portraying the lives of these women and the rules they're bound by, mixing humor with devastation and cruelty. I loved this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, and Blood

Minor: Addiction

jammons's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Classism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Blood, Rape, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

hollowhallow13's review against another edition

challenging dark funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual assault, and Racism

Moderate: Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Police brutality

notanniewarren's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

I was wondering what makes a five star read for me. I've read some good books this year but not given our any 5-stars yet, even though I've read some things I can't really fault and massively enjoyed. I was thinking, what really is a 5-star book for me, then? Maybe I'll never rate a book 5/5. I've also been reading a lot of audiobooks and I was wondering if that's having an impact on how much I enjoy books, that maybe I'll never LOVE a fiction audiobook.

THEN THIS BOOK CAME ALONG.

TEN OUT OF TEN FIVE STARS NO NOTES. SOMEONE MAKE THIS GORGEOUS, HILARIOUS, HEARTBREAKING, BEAUTIFUL BOOK INTO A FILM RIGHT NOW!!!!!

This just blew me away. It's GENUINELY funny, not the kind of smile-to-yourself amusing that I usually mean when I call a book funny. It's so warm and tender, especially on female friendship, whilst also touching on some really big, difficult, dark issues like racism, caste, domestic abuse and rape. I felt like I learned a lot about India (or at least, a certain part of India) and had a rollicking good time while I was at it. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Racism, Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty

helfire124's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Addiction, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Death, Sexual violence, Vomit, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Vomit, Excrement, Islamophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Animal death, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity

meskeets's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Rape

raellio's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Murder, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Blood, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Gun violence

Minor: Child abuse, Police brutality, and Vomit