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brynalexa'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Genocide, Infidelity, Infertility, Mental illness, Body shaming, Abortion, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Colonisation, Sexism, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Murder, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Physical abuse, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
ennzito24's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Eating disorder, Death, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Ableism, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexism, Mental illness, Hate crime, Grief, Genocide, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Colonisation
erebus53'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
4.5
Having read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, and Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, a lot of the plot points of this book were familiar. If you haven't learned much about the Antebellum South, this could be quite rough going. As a historian (main character) Ailey Pearl Garfield is often shaken, and moved to tears, by the accounts she unearths about happenings in her family's past.
This story is nuanced, and the characters feel like people rather than archetypes. Weaving a history filled with trauma would be pretty much impossible without some levity and there is a lot of dialogue that lightens the mood. Some of the humour is utterly hilarious and there are often call-backs to information about minor characters that pepper the backstory with shared in-jokes and form a real sense of this family inhabiting a rich world and community. There are a couple of LGBT characters in the story, and a family history of Dyslexia which becomes apparent as Ailey digs deeper into her family's story.
I could write an entire page to describe the content warnings... but I won't. Let's just say that Racism is the tip of a horrible, bloody iceberg, and that genocide, sexual abuse, physical abuse, suicide, drug addiction, miscarriage, gaslighting and oppression of various forms are all in this book. It's a big book.. there are a lot of words.. and not all of it is pretty.
The Audiobook is beautifully narrated by 3 different voice talents, and the story spans several different timelines, so if you are "reading" by Audiobook it's a good idea to download the supplemental material that lists the genealogy of the family, so you don't get lost.
Thoroughly recommend this book. I found myself really excited by some revelations near the end and more than once I got body chills and frisson from emotionally resonant bits. This would be a great bookclub read if you have people who read at about the same pace, and don't mind tomes that exceed 800 pages.
Graphic: Sexism, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Mental illness, Grief, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Excrement, Addiction, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Genocide, Suicide, Misogyny, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Torture, Homophobia, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Blood, Alcohol, Ableism, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Gore, Classism, Child abuse, Abortion, Violence, Self harm, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Incest, Domestic abuse, Death, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Drug use, and Drug abuse
qqjj's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Death of parent, Homophobia, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Incest, Murder, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Mental illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Abortion, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Self harm, Drug abuse, Child death, and Violence
taibreakfast's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Notes on medium aside, a must read if you can, although do check out the content warnings, there are many.
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Violence, Child abuse, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Grief, Addiction, Suicide, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Alcohol, and Death of parent
jennikreads's review
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Torture, Trafficking, Drug abuse, Misogyny, and Violence
chirazhene's review
- 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
Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Classism, Addiction, Abortion, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Medical content, Homophobia, Fatphobia, and Alcohol
etl's review
4.5
Graphic: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Incest, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Self harm, Abortion, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, and Gun violence
nyssbomb's review
- 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: Death, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Addiction, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Slavery, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Bullying, Cursing, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Incest, Infertility, Child death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Genocide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Lesbophobia, Body shaming, and Ableism
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- Ailey and her family are both specific and universal (and in many ways, that universality is deeply tragic). At times this book feels like it could be nonfiction, until you get to a particularly stunning turn of phrase (honestly, more poets should write literary fiction, it's always incredible).
- Don't let the 800 pages deter you. LOVE SONGS is completely engulfing, intense and heartfelt. Do take the content warnings seriously though, and proceed with caution if needed.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Abortion, Addiction, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Antisemitism and Homophobia