Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

20 reviews

phoenix115's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Grief, Infidelity, and Self harm

leahthebooklover's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense

3.5

An intimate look at how one marriage is affected by a miscarriage of justice and incarceration. Told from alternating points of view. It was a 4 star read for me until the ending, when all the conflict seemed to resolve a little too conveniently. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, and Confinement

Moderate: Abortion, Cancer, Violence, Death of parent, and Cursing

Minor: Police brutality

marnash's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Was recommended to me by Hadas when we were at a second hand bookstore in Nottinghill, so decided to give it a go. I was inthralled throughout the whole time reading, albeit my reading being gappy. The last two hours reading the book I was completely enveloped into the plot, couldn't put it down. That being said, at certain points I found the writing mediocre, and sometimes even unauthentic - as in the writing didn't match the character's voice/vibe. But over all a decent read. Found myself tearing up near the end, when everything sort of made it to a peak. It's some heavy topics and makes you question what's moral and what's fair.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Infidelity, Confinement, Rape, and Sexual assault

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense slow-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

3.5

I should’ve slept, but I needed to finish this book more than I needed to dream. The circumstances probably happen over and over again across the US, mostly to Black men, but the outcome of being released fells less realistic. But that’s where the story pivots, and without it, there wouldn’t be a story to tell.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Grief, Police brutality, Cancer, Confinement, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Racism, and Death of parent

ashareads's review

adventurous reflective tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Rape, Hate crime, Misogyny, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Confinement, Infidelity, and Forced institutionalization

jg34's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This felt very real and emotional and brings up very important questions. I felt a bit unsatisfied by the ending but thats just my opinion because I was hoping it would go another way.

I was rooting for Roy, Andre and celestial just didn’t do it for me either because the story didn’t sell it or because my early bias. Though I suppose the author did not need to sell it, that’s not really what the story is about. Either way JUSTICE FOR ROY

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Cancer, Blood, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Death, Self harm, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

Sex scenes are not detailed or graphic. A long portion of this book has a character set in prison. One pretty violent scene otherwise some other topics mentioned a bit but not in detail

crazytourists_books's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

1.0

This is a perfect example of an over-hyped book that didn't deserve have of the enthusiasm around it. The idea was interesting; if the author had focused on that and not the "romantic" side, it would have been great. A black man, wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for rape, spends five years in prison. Do we read about that? A few pages. Five years covered in a few pages. But HIS dream of having kids? Of having HIS wife? GIS home? Of controlling everything because HE is the man? Of how everyone owes HIM because they haven't been through what HE has been through? Of having sex without protection because HE doesn't want a piece of rubber between him and HIS "cure"? Of unbelievable sexism (by every single character in this book)? Pages upon pages upon pages. 
I liked the narration trick, the three different points of view, but nothing was deep. It could and should have been over after a hundred pages, there was just nothing there. Flat characters, no story. And I am so disappointed and frustrated because the story could have been so much more. 
Ii makes me wonder... did Obama really read this and thought that this book portrayes the effects of a wrongful conviction on a young African-American couple? Seriously? 
I have no idea why I read all of it, when I knew from the first few pages that it would frustrate, disappoint, and bore me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Cancer, Death of parent, Sexism, Racism, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Rape, Abortion, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Grief, Confinement, and Racism

Moderate: Abortion, Infidelity, Classism, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Death of parent

Minor: Rape

agameofbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

Not as overwhelmingly impressive as I'd expected, but still very beautifully sad. I did keep wondering in which time this was set.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racism, and Infidelity

Moderate: Hate crime

Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Abortion

keiaria's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.25

had to read for my african american literature course; probs not something i would have picked up on my own. this book was both sad and frustrating, and i didn't like the characters very much... maybe i'll reread this someday (though i don't like enjoy reading about Black pain).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, and Confinement

Minor: Death of parent