Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

27 reviews

pipettesandpages's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Body shaming, Car accident, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Child death, and Murder

Minor: Grief, Blood, and Addiction

trilli_pop's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow. How devastating. Women should really stop letting men tell them how to do life. Generational trauma is real. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Addiction

bookishbaker25's review against another edition

sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

 A Woman is No Man is a standout read of the year, easily making it into my top 10. From the very first page, I found myself completely absorbed in the story, holding my breath until the end. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it even more than I expected.

For fans of Khaled Hosseini's storytelling, Rum's narrative will resonate deeply. She skillfully captures a sense of despair and sadness that runs through the entire book. The characters weave together seamlessly, yet the reader is constantly faced with the harsh reality of the abuse and hopelessness they endure.

The book not only explores domestic violence but also sheds light on how cultural norms and expectations contribute to systemic abuse. While it's important not to stereotype an entire culture, it's equally important to acknowledge the struggles of women who face such challenges daily. Rum gives voice to the marginalized, highlighting their experiences.

While I appreciated the book's structure, with multiple points of view spanning three generations, there were moments where the story felt repetitive, slowing down the pace.

All in all, I think this is a great read, but please beware, it is a heavy and hard book to get through! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Abortion, Addiction, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Rape

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

I read Evil Eye last month and gave it 5 stars, and it's near impossible for me to give things 5 stars, so I figured this woman must be amazing I gotta read what else she has. Only one other book?! How heartbreaking! I need more! Etaf Rum the woman that you are!!!

I do feel that if I had read this book first and Evil Eye second, I still would've given Evil Eye 5 stars. These books were written for the culture. Not my culture, but the importance of them, the weight of them, were not just to represent Palestinians and Arabs, but to show other Arabs "this is who we are, we have stories to tell, and we have to be honest with ourselves" and I love that SO much. Etaf Rum you will always be famous!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Misogyny, Violence, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Rape, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Colonisation, Mental illness, Genocide, Abandonment, Child death, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Deportation, Sexual assault, War, and Blood

Minor: Body horror, Car accident, Stalking, Fatphobia, Islamophobia, Drug use, and Miscarriage

jordynkw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Alcohol, Gore, Suicide attempt, Violence, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Mental illness, Blood, and Self harm

anna_wa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Addiction, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Blood and Abortion

jlfields925's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual violence, Death, Rape, Alcohol, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Violence

Moderate: Child death and Car accident

Minor: Islamophobia, Abortion, and Miscarriage

glennarochelle's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

5.0

An astonishing debut. Rum has a powerful voice, and she is exceedingly successful at creating complex and engaging characters. I look forward to reading more of her hork.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Murder, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, Sexual assault, Death, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Murder, Abortion, Miscarriage, Child death, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Minor: Colonisation, Islamophobia, and Car accident

joodreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

اعتراضي الوحيد هو على النهاية المفتوحة، ماعندي مشاكل غالبًا مع النهايات المفتوحة وأحيانًا أفضلها بس أزعجتني هالمرة، يمكن لأن الخيارات الي قدامي كلها سيئة، لأني أعرف كيف بينتهي فيهم المطاف بكل الأحوال؟

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Sexual assault

my_weird_bookish_heart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Rape, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Sexual content, Violence, and Physical abuse