Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

47 reviews

vixenreader's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

Although it is a product of its time, it is still a pinnacle work in depicting the lives of Asian women, and it is a tender portrait of the deep pain and love that is shared among mothers and daughters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Pregnancy, War, Child death, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Animal death, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Ableism, Abortion, Antisemitism, Infertility, and Rape

Be warned that there is divorce, intergenerational trauma, unrealistic expectations for children, arranged marriage, polygamy, long lost sisters, and drowning of a child.

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense 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

5.0

The chapters are essentially a compilation of short stories that help the reader come to a consensus reaction about the personal history and lives of these mothers and daughters. You experience their joys and struggles regarding the dynamics in their personal relationships. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Genocide, Classism, Suicide, Gore, Death, Misogyny, Blood, Child death, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, War, Body shaming, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Ableism, Animal death, Infidelity, Murder, Racial slurs, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Blood, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Slavery

Some of the triggers are overt, others are strongly suggested, perhaps in other countries in historical periods where long ago childhoods and family histories are elaborated on, in small country towns that could be called backward, clinging to old practices such as having a proper wife but also additional wives/concubines.

emorine13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

This is an amazing story made up of multiple generations’ stories. It makes you reflect that everyone around you has a background and story, and the only way to remember them is to ask. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Abandonment, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, War, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Child death, Abortion, Classism, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

danielnski's review

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Sexual violence

Moderate: Child death, Bullying, and Child abuse

mandygleicher's review

emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Child death, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

michaelion's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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

4.25

I had no expectations other than I knew it would fuck me up. Any story about mothers and daughters. Especially women of color! So complex!! Too real!!!

I don't like reviews with quotes from the piece of media but I had to stop reading to make note of this masterpiece and let it simmer for a while: "And even though I taught my daughter the opposite, she still came out the same way! Maybe it is because she was born to me and she was born a girl. And I was born to my mother and I was born a girl. All of us are like stairs, one step after another, going up and down, but all going the same way."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, War, Grief, Eating disorder, Death of parent, and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, and Classism

Minor: Self harm, Animal death, Rape, Xenophobia, Blood, Pedophilia, Abortion, and Homophobia

stephyrm's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Grief

Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Abandonment, Abortion, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Sexism

melancholymegs's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Racism, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, War, and Death of parent

Moderate: Classism, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault

Minor: Car accident, Eating disorder, and Body shaming

_jessielynn_'s review

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

i told my women’s lit prof at the beginning of the semester that i only give 5.0 stars to things that change my life. she assigned this book and was basically jumping with joy when i told her how much i loved it. such a poignant and one-of-it’s kind perspective on the relationships between mothers and daughters and the breaking of generational cycles. i’m actually in amazement of amy tan, and will be reading other works of her’s in the future.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Child death, Sexual violence, and Abortion

theo_rowen's review against another edition

This book was a really good read and I wish I had finished it. I got it from the library and so I had to return it at some point and I didn't pick it up again. I do intend to pick it up in the future though.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Child death