Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Praise Song for the Butterflies by Bernice L. McFadden

6 reviews

elisebrancheau's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Abandonment, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Child death, Confinement, Misogyny, Suicide, Trafficking, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, and Death of parent

shewhoturnsallpages7834's review against another edition

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? No

4.75

I absolutely love how quickly Bernice McFadden dives into a story and grabs your attention from the first sentence. Praise Song for the Butterflies tackles the topic of human trafficking Ukemby with a gentle touch that took my breath away. I appreciate the direct explanation of a trokosi, despite not understanding how Abeo’s eventual abandonment and healing would be linked it. The women of the novel were motivated by many things. For some religion, family expectations and shame limited their ability do take action. Other found purpose in seeking to serve and heal themselves by helping others. The fast pace of the novel kept me invested from start to finish.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Pedophilia, Violence, Suicide, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Rape, Alcoholism, Animal death, Slavery, and Trafficking

Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Trafficking

analenegrace's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad fast-paced

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

4.0

I was greatly looking forward to reading this because I know Bernice McFadden and was blown away by her writing style. It's written in a way that let me fly through it even with the difficult material within. 

Abeo's journey ending in

killing Duma in her dream rather than forgiveness like many books choose

made the book and its ending feel more authentic. 

As many other reviewers have said and I am echoing, books like this are always more complicated when written by Americans, as seen in the American Savior plotline, but I believe that Abeo was still her own protagonist and had her own motivations and experiences that seperated this book from many others of its kind. 

I look forward to reading more of McFadden's books this year and learning from them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Child death, Confinement, Grief, Rape, Slavery, Death of parent, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Self harm, Suicide, and Violence

balladofreadingqueer's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I devoured this book so quickly. It is a largely linear narrative of a young girl Abeo given into ritual servitude and the horrors that happen to her there and her life after she leaves. 

The short novel covers two continents, and addresses distressing themes of rape, child abuse, familial separation and slavery.

It also explores familial and community love, strength, forgiveness and acceptance as key themes.

Would highly recommend 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Alcoholism, Child death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

bookiecharm's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcoholism and Drug abuse

tlaynejones's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Abandonment, Slavery, Grief, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Gaslighting and Suicide