Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

59 reviews

isaarusilor's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

vdspreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

2.75

I was really looking forward to reading this "slice of life" story. I did like the storytelling, but it was so slow. I think I wanted a pace more like Remarkably Bright Creatures or Practical Magic. To me, even though the explanations and history were needed, the pace was just too slow for me. 

The insight into the period, different cultures/customs, and how people interacted is fascinating. I thought I was going to be taken by the relationship between Dodo and Chona. It was the glimmer of humanity that Dodo and Monkeypants found that kept me reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Excrement, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Classism

wackydopamine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

I would've loved it if not for the way that the women were described and for the wildly unnecessary interject of a "cell phones are evil" message in the middle of an intensely dark and sad scene.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Excrement, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

zombiezami's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

I read McBride's memoir about himself and his Jewish mom years ago. It's wonderful to see how, in addition to research, he clearly pulled from aspects of his upbringing in crafting this book. I will say that, although I liked the connection to USAmericans being on stolen land, this would have been a stronger theme if there were any indigenous characters, which there weren't, as far as I remember.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Excrement, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Outing, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Slavery and War

tiamia1084's review against another edition

challenging 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Excrement, and Death of parent

lsinfield's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

lavaly_1's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Infertility, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Murder

amandalachelle's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mysteryspouse's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Medical content, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Mental illness, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Infertility and Slavery

ljtademy3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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

5.0

I am speechless. James McBride has once again found a way to invoke the deepest emotional experience for me as a reader. This book provides commentary on racism, sexism, ableism, meritocracy, and the violence required to sustain these systems in a narrative built around a small community of very real and dimensional characters. The characters are so humorous, strong-willed, and are given depth/background spanning generations prior that allows you to see each character for so much more than most books allow you to see the characters. There are several plots taking place in this book and none of them are without reason. Every detail in the story is meticulously placed to create a really touching story. I read Deacon King Kong last year and loved it to pieces. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store was a much more difficult read due to graphic content, but it is again not without reason that difficult topics are included in this story. James McBride has hands down become my favorite author and it is by a landslide. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Infertility