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accidentalfolklore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Great book that had me invested in the story and characters. The ending is a little flat as others have mentioned. That’s because this story is more about the characters and how people grow over time. Thing about something like the Color Purple, Fried Green Tomatoes, Where the Crawdads Sing. I get the same vibe from those books where you have a rich world and characters who are enveloped in it with feeling separate from it. I loved the addition of an LGBTQ+ character. Im on the spectrum but a different one. I felt it was done very authentically but I’ll let people who identify in that category speak on how well it was portrayed. I’m being vague only for spoiler purposes since I wasn’t expecting it but loved how it was introduced and evolved with story progression.
Minor: Racism, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Slavery, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
adelal's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Classism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment and Slavery
spooksie's review against another edition
- 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
THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS????
I AM CRYING
SOBBING
WTF???
BRIT BENNETT WHY
on a more serious note, i loved this book, altough it took me a while to get into, but the ending really does hit like a truck
Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Grief, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Alcohol and Dysphoria
kathischm's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Slavery, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Murder, Gun violence, and Racism
erd's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Death, Classism, Grief, and Rape
Minor: Drug abuse, Slavery, Stalking, Violence, Alcohol, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, and Pedophilia
None of content is over-the-top or overdone, all of it drives the story along.zombiezami's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Bullying
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Excrement, and Slavery
Colorism, lynchinggalexy_brain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Deadnaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, and War
cheye13's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
What struck me the most was how this family story served as a lens through which to view American history, and how quickly large strides through history seemed to pass, while not belittling the future work to be done.
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
Minor: Drug use, Dysphoria, Sexual content, and Slavery
There is minor reference to the AIDS crisis.katsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
“She hadn't realized how long it takes to become somebody else, or how lonely it can be living in a world not meant for you.”
“The only difference between lying and acting was whether your audience was in on it, but it was all a performance just the same.”
“A body could be labeled but a person couldn’t, and the difference between the two depended on that muscle in your chest. That beloved organ, not sentient, not aware, not feeling, just pumping along, keeping you alive.”
I have so many feelings about this book. I don't know if I feel confident in articulating them. This book followed the lives of twins Desiree and Stella and their respective daughters, Jude and Kennedy. They are raised in the town of Mallard, a town for light-skinned "colored" people. When they get older, they make choices that will influence the rest of their lives and that of their daughters. This story obviously had a ton of commentary on colorism and what it means to "pass." I was really glad I had the chance to buddy read this because it was helpful to chat through some of the heavy themes. I think the title of this book is really spot on because it can be applied to so many different pieces of the novel. Ultimately, it's a book about identity. What does it mean to be Black? White? Man? Woman? Daughter? Mother? Family? I fully understand why this book has received all the hype it has in the last year or two. It is a powerful narrative that definitely feels like it will become a classic that is analyzed in classrooms for a long time. I would recommend going into this novel a little blind. What I've written here is basically what I knew about it when I went in and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience the story without any preconceived notions.
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery
ellaaj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Medical content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Violence