Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

66 reviews

jammoriar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Slavery, Sexual assault, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual violence

kateyoutka's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.0

I had to sit on this one for a while before I was ready to review it. 

Wow. 

Robert Jones, Jr., doesn't waste a single word. Every sentence is purposeful and loaded with emotion, and Jones, Jr.'s writing is lyrical and stunning. This book is mostly a love story between two young enslaved men on a plantation, but it's also a story of the community surrounding them, the brutality of slavery, found family and religion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Slavery

kirstenf's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Racial slurs, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Child death, Murder, and Racism

Moderate: Confinement, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Blood, Genocide, Grief, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, and Trafficking

Minor: Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Infidelity, Colonisation, and Pregnancy

jaytongue's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.25

This book deals with something no other book I've read really does, which is the violation of the sexual autonomy of slaves in the Antebellum American South. The central conflict is a relationship between two enslaved boys that should not exist, and exists in defiance of the fact that they were purchased in order to be bred, as all slaves were expected to be as part of a return on investment. The resulting narrative is one that explores the true horrors of slavery in the America, as well as the twisted mentalities of dehumanization and gross disregard for human dignity that justified it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

greenrequiem's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Homophobia, Trafficking, Death, Violence, Racism, Torture, Hate crime, Colonisation, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, Misogyny, Child death, Classism, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

emmajwalls's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Sexual violence, Classism, Physical abuse, Rape, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

atamano's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Trafficking, Homophobia, Murder, Slavery, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, Death, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Body horror, Classism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Excrement

babeinlibrary's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, Colonisation, Death, Homophobia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Vomit

botanbibliophile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Colonisation, and Death

yvespiders's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

5.0

Though this is an emotional and challenging read, I love how Robert Jones, Jr. crafted this painful yet tender love story. He also seems to make references to things we see today, yet manages to maintain the authenticity of this historical fiction's time period. I fell in love with the female characters and was moved to tears by the two main characters' genuine love for each other.  
 
This book is a reminder not only of the trauma of white supremacy and slavery, but also of how hateful, colonial religious indoctrination feeds into the already existing greed of oppressors, and sadly can make us fight against our natural tendencies to love ourselves and others.
 
Like I said, this is not an easy book to read, so you might want to consider looking at the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Racism, and Violence