Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

16 reviews

ellxnmcgrxth's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Read in one night, it's very moreish

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Addiction, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Suicide

presenttensegrace's review against another edition

challenging emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

I read this book more quickly than any other this year - it was so captivating. A novel that will stick with me for a while and is forcing me to reflect in new ways on my own relationships, politics, and identities. 

Readers with various perspectives on intersectional feminism, like  the characters themselves, can empathize with these stories and the complicated (sometimes brutal) challenges of racism, misogyny, etc. the characters go through. I felt guided through new ideas and questions without feeling “preached” to. I especially loved the way Evaristo wrote about desire (sexual desire, but also friendship and life goals) and gritty coping mechanisms, like in Grace’s case.  Each character felt so real, and the way their stories came together was so well-crafted.  

Finally, at first I felt that the individual conversations about gender etc. were cheesy, but I think they’re actually pretty accurate representations of people working ideas out in real time (and of the author reaching more directly to readers, especially the end of ch. 5). 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, and Rape

Minor: Self harm and Miscarriage

imaginaryisobel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

Found the chapter structures a little weird at times. Not sure if this was due to it being an audiobook but it felt like it cut off at awkward points/chapters abruptly ended. Felt most of the stories wrapped up pretty well but there were a couple of stragglers, namely LaTisha and winsome who were kinda missed in the ending. Overall an engaging read and some really interesting stories. The only really weak one for me was Yazz's story but the rest were fab.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Addiction, Racism, Xenophobia, Slavery, and Infertility

Minor: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Deadnaming, Colonisation, Cancer, Antisemitism, and Classism

catherineallsop's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, Cursing, and Misogyny

Minor: Violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Transphobia, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Drug abuse

poenaestante's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny slow-paced

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

2.0

Shoutout to the critic that shaded this play Misty by Arinze Kene by asking, "are tales of Black trauma catnip for paying audiences...riddled with white guilt?". I was looking for just the right words to explain why I hated Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. There are other reasons, but this really captures the main one so beautifully. The book was also too long with too many characters.  I just simply stopped  caring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Death, Classism, Rape, Violence, Sexual content, Racism, Homophobia, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Sexism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Grief, Drug use, and Domestic abuse

theheartisanarrow's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

wound up enjoying this one more once i switched to the audiobook bc the lack of punctuation and capitalisation (which i know was a choice and i kinda get it, but still) made it so hard for me to read.

it reads a bit like non-fiction in a good way, as these intertwined slice-of-life type short stories felt heart-wrenchingly authentic, like peering into the real lives and (often harsh) realities of so many people

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Child death and Transphobia

Minor: Suicide and Self harm

thedisabledreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

mme_carton's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Drug abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Classism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Islamophobia, and Terminal illness

Moderate: War, Slavery, Excrement, and Self harm

Minor: Eating disorder, Cancer, and Infertility

corriejn's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Self harm, Pregnancy, and Homophobia

Minor: Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Transphobia, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, Cultural appropriation, Animal death, Dementia, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Colonisation

marisa_thorne's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts