Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

34 reviews

schorlett's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence

Moderate: Grief, Suicide, Death, and Mental illness

Minor: Blood, Bullying, and Pregnancy

laurajenkins's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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

3.75

Lots of idolatry, which made parts of it difficult to read. Spiritual abuse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Hate crime, Death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

itsy719's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Gun violence, Slavery, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Vomit

zombiezami's review against another edition

5.0

This book left me almost about to cry. I realize from reading this and The Color Purple years ago: I'm a sucker for books about women and girls coming together to heal themselves from the pain of patriarchy. They build a form of spirituality that centers and affirms them. They learn to value themselves, their wants, and their perspectives. And then the healing they are able to do simply radiates outward, and it causes a reaction in everyone around them to witness that healing taking place. Some don't understand what's happening and they hate it. They mock or terrorize them for daring to live differently, to think that they can excuse themselves from the patriarchal structure they accept unconsciously. Others realize by their example that they don't have to accept patriarchy either, and they can find their own ways to be whole. 

I also especially loved the author's approach to grief, especially the importance of feeling it fully and creating rituals and remembrance about it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Grief, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Racism, Hate crime, Suicide, and Confinement

Moderate: Misogyny, Child death, Slavery, and Sexism

Minor: War and Animal death

andrewhatesham's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Suicide, Death of parent, Medical content, Cursing, Grief, Hate crime, and Gun violence

carnivalchimera's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

My favorite book I've ever read

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Suicide, Gun violence, Grief, Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, and Physical abuse

shull3464's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Suicide, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Cursing, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Death, Grief, and Racial slurs

a_alves00's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Suicide, Death of parent, and Racism

phantomgecko's review

emotional 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

4.0

I couldn't help comparing this to The Help even though the setting is about all they share (plus a skinny white girl). I like this one better.

Though it's a pretty significant part of the story, I didn't love the Mary worship. Black Madonna? Awesome, great great honey label. But literally worshipping an idol does not appeal to me. Some of the sentiments were fine. Finding the mother within yourself and such.

I enjoy books that come with discussion questions in the back because I'm not in a book group and like thinking at least a little critically about novels. The first question in this one was about T Ray, whether it was surprising to find out he used to be different. And it led me to an appreciation of how the novel played out.

It was good that Deborah didn't turn out to be as perfect as Lily idealized. It was good that Lily had to legitimately find it within her soul to forgive her mother. It was good that she acknowledged it was a perpetual process.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Hate crime, Child abuse, Grief, Racism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

4.25

Teenage me would've loved this.

I think the movie warped my  little baby brain, so then I ended up liking stuff like The Help and Hairspray, which I absolutely was obsessed with. But the focus on women, bees, connections to mothers and ancestry and selfs... Like ancestry lives within you and also you are your own mother... That white lady kinda popped off writing this. She kinda had a point to make. She kinda dotted her i's and crossed her t's. She kinda had her cake and ate it too. She kinda gobbled ate right the fuck up left no crumbs. She kinda did her thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Death, Racism, Grief, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Child abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Abandonment, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Torture, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Police brutality, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, and Child death

Minor: Vomit, Misogyny, and War