Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

42 reviews

heini's review against another edition

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

Suomennos oli hämmentävä. Ehkä ne ovat tyylikeinoja tai en vain ymmärtänyt, mutta lukukokemusta haittaa, kun jatkuvasti ilmaisut särähtävät korvaan. Puhutaan jonkun ensimmäisestä rodeosta; henkilö, jota alkuperäisteoksessa kuvaillaan ja nimitetään sanoilla 'strawberry blond man-bun' suomennetaan mansikanvaaleaksi hipster sämpyläksi; yleinen kirosana on paskapökäle ja joku on hullumpi kuin lepakonpaska (batshit crazy?).

 
Itse kirjasta: Seuraamme New York Cityn kaupunginosien ihmisavatareja,  jotka ilmentävät suurkaupungin monimuotoisuutta. 
Hahmot olivat mukavan ristiriitaisia ja oli mielenkiintoista, kuinka välillä ihmisen kauheista piirteistä tuli ominaisia ja "hyödyllisiä", osa tarvittavaa kokonaisuutta. 
Tarina oli värikkäiden kertojiensa vuoksi hauska ja myös sivuhenkilöt olivat huippuja,

(eräs lempparihahmoni oli perinteisen Checker-taksin kuljettaja Madison, tosin luultavasti siksi, että kuvittelin hänet Roundabout-pelin Georgioksi ("the worlds first revolving limousine driver"). Heillä oli samanlaista hällä-väliä ja auttamisen asennetta. 

Valkoinen ja kirkkaus oli pahuuden ilmikuva, mikä on tietysti myös käänteinen kerrontaperinteen musta/pimeys=paha logiikalle, jota on ihonväriinkin sovellettu.
Kirjan yksi ydinkuvaus on, kuinka ennakkoluulot ja oletukset tuhoavat meitä (yksilöitä, yhteisöjä, yhteiskuntia) sisältä päin ja vain ruokkivat yhteisiä vihollisiamme. 

Pelko, että ihmisyys tuhotaan kosmisessa maailmojen sodassa / pelko, joka syntyy kaikesta siitä "normaalista" tai normaaliksi hyväksystä (kauheista ja epämukavista asioista), jota arkemme ihmisinä ihmisten keskellä on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexism, Police brutality, Body horror, Racial slurs, Violence, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Racism

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Rape, Addiction, and Abortion

Spiders or spider-like creatures

jaysaysnope's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

I want to love a place the way N.K. Jemisin loves New York City. The ending was a little anticlimactic for me, but

the betrayal of Staten Island

was so good (and honestly, realistic to the character), I cannot wait to find out how it’s dealt with in The World We Make.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, Body horror, and Violence

Moderate: Classism, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Colonisation, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Police brutality

brynalexa's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

There’s something about NK Jemisin’s endings that make me want to go right back to page one as soon as I’m done. She also loves to end a book underground. I read that people feel the character introductions are a slog but I completely disagree- the character introductions and them finding each other IS the plot. I loved how the world building and plot were so expertly weaved into the character work. I was sad to be introduced to Queens last because I liked being in her head quite a bit.  I’ll be picking up the sequel ASAP. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia

Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Cannibalism, Car accident, Rape, and Racism

amsswim's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective 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

5.0

I saw this book recommended everywhere, and it was totally worth it. N.K. Jemison has such a way with word, the descriptions were so vivid. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND listening to the audiobook, it's not just a read it has sound effects, music, and more. Made the descriptions amd story really come to life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Dementia

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Lesbophobia

jakepasseri's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

A really good read that flips (and critiques) the Lovecraftian ideas over the fear of the unknown to critique and comment on modern political issues (though it can be ham-fisted at times)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Alcoholism, and Colonisation

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense 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

This book is near perfect for me. Some dings for variable pacing and maybe wrapping up a bit too cleanly and vaguely abruptly. Overall, I loved this adventure steeped in what makes NYC the city it is. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Grief, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Stalking, Violence, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia

How hard these triggers hit will vary person to person, hence why I put all of them in moderate, not that they were all moderate to me. Nothing kept me from wanting to read the rest of the book. I can’t wait to get to the next 2.

litliz's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Islamophobia, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abortion, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, and Rape

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia and Homophobia

Minor: Sexual harassment and Emotional abuse

judicatorypedant's review

adventurous funny medium-paced

• 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

3.75

I enjoyed the cast of characters, and wish more time was spent having them interact with each other. The novel started slow, and had a really amazing build up to what turned out to be a disappointing climax. Some characters (Queens/Padmini in particular) feel they could have recieved more focus and development. While Jemisin's prose was high quality as usual, there were points where the modern references made the work feel dated and too on the nose, politically. That said, I enjoyed the overarching allegory and some of the attempts at incorporating contemporary politics. The book also felt somewhat confusing in the beginning, as someone who lives outside of New York.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Colonisation, Abortion, Genocide, and Police brutality

stormeno's review

adventurous funny mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Cursing

Minor: Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Cancer, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Abortion, Sexism, and Sexual content