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matmatmatty'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? N/A
5.0
I am honestly a little speechless after reading this.
I've had this book on my shelf for a while, and had a lot of people suggest it to me, but only recently got around to reading it.
This is such an important story that I really cannot recommend more. I wish I had read it earlier and had the opportunity to take in what I took from it then.
This story follows 12 separate characters and their story of self discovery and finding themselves. Some of these stories are within a couple of years, some over entire lifetimes. They are all unique and feel so real.
All of these stories are connected, in different ways, and you get to hear about characters from multiple perspectives (including their own) which gives them a greater depth (I also got to think about how we can be our own unreliable narrator for ourselves and those around us)
Evaristo's writing style might not be for everyone - it's very poetic and not structured like a "typical" writer but if that's a barrier for you, I would really try to overcome it because this book is so worth it.
Graphic: Rape, Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Transphobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Drug use and Miscarriage
ellxnmcgrxth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Addiction, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Suicide
bites_of_books'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
5.0
This book is full of really difficult topics, from abuse, abandonment, racism, bigotry, etc., and it is also full of a lot of heart and love between women. I loved the inclusion of trans and lesbian characters since they were the main characters in their respective stories.
I'd recommend this book if you like multigenerational stories, books where you have to do the work and piece the story together, and if you like diverse books full of conversations surrounding various aspects of feminism.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Bullying, Body shaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship
emilia___'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, and Miscarriage
Minor: Misogyny
adriennegg'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
3.75
Minor: Miscarriage and Rape
ynaiita_5896'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? No
5.0
Informative and reflective. This book has taught me so much about women and how resilient we are; how tragic our lives have been and continue to be but how we continue to rise each time. It is a reminder of how society has tried to define us for centuries, across generations and geographies, and how hard we try and succeed to take charge of the narrative.
What I love most about it is how diverse it is within the diversities. This isn't specific to cultural, but spans across the LGBTQ+ discourse. These conversations are so important and there's a lot of learning that is still needed. There's a lot of cancel culture happening due to lack of knowledge and this book has the pote tial and opportunity to fill the gap.
Moderate: Racism, Miscarriage, Rape, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Mental illness
brittcoxon'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
By the end of the book I felt I knew all our characters so well, their lives, influences and ambitions.
Moderate: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Drug use, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Grief, Miscarriage, Death, Racism, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Death of parent
heather667'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: Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Islamophobia, Transphobia, Abandonment, Biphobia, Bullying, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming and Violence
Minor: Eating disorder, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, and Colonisation
haza'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? No
3.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs, Abandonment, Violence, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Slavery, Rape, and Pregnancy
Minor: Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Transphobia, and Addiction
ihiggyz97'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
3.75
Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Abortion, and Xenophobia