Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

63 reviews

elmtreebooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

2.5

Slow. Brutal. Not for me. Graphically, explicitly, relentlessly dark. 
My mom was reading at the same time as me and I got to a point where I stopped reading to warn her to put it down and not continue further, but it was too late for me at the point so I finished it. 

If you don’t like the first 20 pages, do not continue. Check the content warnings and take them very seriously. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

zombiezami's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

I read McBride's memoir about himself and his Jewish mom years ago. It's wonderful to see how, in addition to research, he clearly pulled from aspects of his upbringing in crafting this book. I will say that, although I liked the connection to USAmericans being on stolen land, this would have been a stronger theme if there were any indigenous characters, which there weren't, as far as I remember.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

megandirks's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

betzine's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark hopeful inspiring 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

This one is a slow burn, but it’s an exquisitely crafted novel that comes together in a deeply moving, satisfying conclusion. James McBride has a gift for capturing America’s complex beauty— largely by depicting its profound ugliness with unabashed frankness. This is a novel that will stay with me forever.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lbarnhill3's review against another edition

Go to review page

It was good, but just didn’t hold my attention or suck me in as much as I had hoped. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jade_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This one is gonna sit with me for a WHILE. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

molliezeee's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

noshinbean's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark hopeful reflective 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

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jasper_a's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

hm.
this was a book club book.. if it weren't, i do believe i would have dropped it some 60 or so pages into the book.
objectively, the writing is very good;  long-winded, winding, repetitive, sure but good.
there were many characters, many voices, many dialects and accents and languages (which is a hard sell imo, and were it not for the lovely narrator, Dominic Hoffman, i would have really struggled to get through it).
personally, i didn't enjoy how cyclical the vignettes were. events/incidents were referenced or recounted from multiple character's POVs, which to me were less insightful and more droning. i kept wanting the story to progress but the author wanted to hammer home how everyone felt about everything.
and honestly i would have given the book a passing grade if it weren't for the abrupt ending. i didn't hate how things were resolved but w/r/t the author's cadence, i feel that the ending was rushed out the door lest it miss its train.
it might be a short book club meeting tomorrow.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

tamtasticbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings