Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

3 reviews

lasafica_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Homophobia, Police brutality, Violence, Death of parent, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Outing, Murder, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual assault and Fatphobia

powellki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Gun violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Addiction, Sexism, Outing, Misogyny, Grief, Child abuse, Cursing, Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Medical content, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Police brutality

Minor: Sexual assault

scrubsandbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

 This book was both easy and difficult to get through — easy because the writing and plot was not hard to follow. There were tidbits of flashbacks scattered about the chapters but they didn’t take away from the main plot. And it was difficult because of the topics of grief, terminal illness, and racism. Jas Hammonds has created a story absolutely beautiful and heart-breaking, executed so perfectly in every aspect. This book isn’t just about Avery and Simone’s wonderful slow-burn romance, but also about dealing with generational trauma, grief from death of a family member, and struggling with living as a Black person in a bigoted South town. This was such an important book to read and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. 

 

Despite knowing fully how this book would end especially when terminal cancer comes into play, it was still shocking to the system and I cried so hard for all the characters. I cried when Mama Letty took her last breath, and when Avery cried in Mama Letty’s room desperate for even a last whiff of her cigarettes. I also cried with Simone’s struggles of coming out (I’m closeted with my family as well) and cried with Mama Letty recounting Ray’s memories and how he was taken and killed by a racist sheriff. I was all around a giant baby during this!

 

I am gutted after this one and it's going to stay with me for a really really long time. Good job, Jas Hammands and an equally good job to the narrator of the audiobook, Tamika Katon-Donegal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Death, Racism, Police brutality, and Hate crime

Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Homophobia

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual assault

Content warning: police brutality and mentions of KKK, mentions of COVID/pandemic, death of a parent from murder, death of a sibling from murder, religious bigotry, parental abuse/negligence, cigarette use, underaged drinking. For more warnings, please check the user-submitted warnings on Storygraph Representation: Black, biracial, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual