Reviews with content warning for Rape - Zikora

This was a short story I wanted to read to complete the "Z" requirement for my alphabet challenge. I did enjoy the book, it was brief but packed with a lot of character conflict that I found really interesting to read. The writing style was not my favorite- it's a pet peeve of mine when authors break from a scene to recount a memory longer than a sentence or two and I found that this author managed to do it a ton of times throughout this very short story, LOL. I think when authors do that, they can rarely re-transition back to the original scene without it being abrupt or awkward.

Anyway, it's a worthwhile read! Check trigger warnings beforehand.

Content Warnings

bookiemadi's review

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.5

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ari_angelus's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

this was a lot better than i thought it would be. it took me a while to get into it but once we got past her backstory, which was needed, and more in depth about her mother's behavior then i started to understand what the author was trying to say. also the parts about men having a clear lack of sex ed outside of porn. (finally someone explained why porn makes terrible sex ed)

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agateg's review

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challenging reflective tense 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? N/A

4.25

"Bear it, that is what it means to be a woman,” and it was years before I knew that girls took Buscopan for period pain.”

When Zikora, a DC lawyer from Nigeria, tells her equally high-powered lover that she's pregnant, he abandons her. But it's Zikora's demanding, self-possessed mother, in town for the birth, who makes Zikora feel like a lonely little girl all over again. Shunned by the speed with which her ideal life fell apart, Zikora turns to reflect on her mother's painful past and struggle for dignity. Preparing for motherhood, Zikora begins to see more clearly what her own mother wants for her, for her new baby, and for herself.

This was a short yet powerful story. It dives into the not-always-happy experiences of womanhood. I felt such deep sympathy for the main character because I would not be strong enough to bear a child in such circumstances. It was challenging to read because of the topic it discussed but I liked the author's writing style and how she decided to show this story.

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mariainestb's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

3.5

I really wish this was longer, especially after that rather abrupt ending

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thereaderfriend's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

4.0

"Some kindnesses you do not ever forget. You carry them to your grave, held warmly somewhere, brought up and savored from time to time."

'What was "normal" ? That Nature traded in unnecessary pain?'

"How you imagine something will always be is always worse than how it actually ends."

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parkyparkpark's review

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emotional informative sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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froggybooks's review

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inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

honestly i couldn’t relate to it but it was beautifully written and made me feel things

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