Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan

9 reviews

ginbat's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

2.75

Very good writing but absolutely horrific. Reading the book summary you would never guess how dark it was. I feel like I have second hand trauma. The writer is talented in that she paints very vivid and emotional pictures with her words, but I did not like this book, was not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, War, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abortion, Colonisation, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Confinement, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Grief, and Mass/school shootings

Lots of rape

littlelizzieborden's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, War, Domestic abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Abortion, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, and Infertility

sillyduckie's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, War, Grief, Misogyny, Child death, Infidelity, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Abortion, Violence, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault

moon_dude's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Violence, Child death, Child abuse, and War

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

Amy Tan is a writer who never disappoints. Every time I pick up a book from her backlog, I know I'm in for an engrossing and enlightening reading experience. 

The way Amy Tan writes women's relationships with one another and their memory of their mothers and grandmothers has me coming back. These are complex depictions that lean into the light and dark sides of personality and history. And despite the darkness inherent in all her books I've read, there is a lightness to them. Humour, friendship, reunions, all packed into a cute mass market paperback that I picked up from the used bookshop for a dollar.

The ones I've read have all followed a similar pattern: mother(s) and daughter(s) keeping secrets from one another, not understanding one another's lives. There's a communication breakdown and they reach a tipping point of resentment and disconnect. And then the reveal happens (moms share their past trauma in China including horrific upbringings and experiences during war) and it shakes everyone to their core. Cue the waterworks and the familial bonds strengthened. She's so consistent and it works every time -- it's kind of incredible. Yet each one deals with different angles to this formula and doesn't repeat too much. What an illustrious career! I keep coming back for more because I know I'll be satisfied. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Death, Child death, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual violence, and War

Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, and Physical abuse

Minor: Homophobia

betag1013's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, Violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Pregnancy, and Suicide

avasbookmark's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and War

Minor: Ableism and Abortion

skthereader's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

*RECOMMENDED

I remember reading this book in a span of days during a time I had read books really slowly over several weeks. I don't like literary fiction much, then until now, but Amy Tan's writing just pulled me in. This story is about someone's struggles through the years and her relaying this truth to her daughter. My heart went out to this woman and the pain was absolutely devastating. It's been years since I read but the feeling of loving this book is fresh in my mind. However, there are a lot of nuances that I can't quite talk about anymore due to it being so long and I feel like it's not authentic for me to give it a high recommendation when I don't even remember. Still, give this a chance because it's a great book, and I still hope to reread this in the near future.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Rape

platypusinrainboots's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• 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: Chronic illness, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage, Child death, and Child abuse

There are multiple occurrences of loss of toddlers through illness, child abuse, war, miscarriage, and famine. There are non-specific descriptions of rape and sexual assault and coercion.