Reviews tagging 'Racism'

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

11 reviews

mangopanels's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infertility, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

littlepepperguy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Definitely sad, for sure be ready for something heavy and real. A really intricately weaved story of  interconnecting people with seemingly little in common other than a man making a victim of them (specifically one man but also men in general). Deals with the struggles of patriarchy and the fact that no one thrives within the suffocating environment of white supremacist western colonial patriarchy, not even the men, especially not the men of color in 1970's Barbados within the novel. Although it is set in the past and a window to how that specific time and place and those specific women were affected, it is a great allegory for how women are deeply affected by gender roles and abuse. Very intersectional and again super depressing. I'm white and was socialized as a woman and I think it is of utmost importance to read novels that show the difference in treatment between white woman and women of color. Intersectionality bb.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Violence, Murder, Medical trauma, Grief, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Rape, Death, Sexism, Child death, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Infertility

abbie_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

3.25

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House is a novel about the violence inflicted on women by the men in their lives. You know going in that it’s going to be a tough read, but boy does Jones throw everything she’s got at you. The sheer, unending misery of the lives of these women was what made me struggle through it, but at the same time what makes it an important read. Jones states in her afterword that she wrote it to highlight the situation lots of women in Barbados find themselves in, trapped in cycles of violence, unable to see another option for themselves but to stay by the side of their abuser. The story is so driven by acts of violence (literally every bad thing you could think of that could happen to a woman) that I trudged through it, wary of whatever horror lay in the next chapter.
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I did love the way the story stripped back the layers of Barbados - to white western tourists, the name evokes a tropical paradise, but Jones depicts the everyday lives and cruelties of the folks who live there. If you enjoyed that aspect of Eve Out of Her Ruins (I prefer that one to this), then you might appreciate this one too!
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A tough read that I’m glad I read for its exposé of violence against women in Barbados, but it will leave you exhausted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Child death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Racism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Incest, Violence, and Sexual violence

sierranichole's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

     this book is just excellent. so flawless. it is easily my favorite and most important book i have read yet. it really made me think and reflect. cherie jones did a marvelous job.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Incest, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Child death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexual content

Minor: Animal death, Abortion, and Excrement

vampirefwoodstock's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual violence

livreads16's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, and Pregnancy

clarereadstheworld's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• 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

This is definitely a Bookstagram made me do it read, and wow did it blow me away. For a debut novel, Cherie Jones writes beautifully. The characters are of vivid and real, and their story is so moving.

It all takes place on Baxter's Beach in Barbados. Two women, Lala and Mira, both suffer unimaginable losses within a couple of weeks of each other. Although they come from very different worlds, and move in very different circles, their fates are set on a collision course.

The narrative changes to a different character each chapter, and plays around with 2nd and 3rd person narrative voice, and different narrative styles, which I really enjoyed. I also loved how characters which at first appeared to be secondary were given a back story, and we got to know them better.

Not an easy read, and this book definitely covers some difficult topics, but these subjects are very well dealt with. I was not surprised to learn that Cherie Jones herself had experienced some on what Lala went through. Her writing felt very genuine.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Grief, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Child death

emilily's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Child death, Grief, Death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Colonisation and Classism

annabulkowski's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Incest, Infertility, Gun violence, Grief, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, and Confinement

memorable's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ufff… this book is though, yet so good. Please be aware of all the TWs, there are a lot of them! However, go read it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Grief

Minor: Abortion, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, and Sexism