Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

13 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.

thomasina's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

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

mattyb's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Abortion

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, and War

Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Addiction

toffishay's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was a fun, sad, emotional tour-de-force about the relationships between mothers and daughters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexism, Abandonment, and Misogyny

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, Xenophobia, War, Death, Death of parent, and Racism

Minor: Rape, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Eating disorder, Abortion, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, and Suicide

shariah's review

emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abortion, Rape, and War

Minor: Classism and Xenophobia

notartgarfunkel's review

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, War, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Child death

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Xenophobia, Miscarriage, and Racism

Minor: Homophobia

amelianotthepilot's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative fast-paced

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

5.0

a collection of stories about the Chinese American experience touching on immigration, generation gaps, sexism, racism, and more

really well written interesting stories

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Abandonment, and Sexism

laurenleigh's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.5

This has been on my TBR forever! Amy Tan is really quite amazing. She packs in so much in this short book! All these characters were so multi-faceted. I was especially interested when their storylines intersected. For example, listening to Waverly’s story, I had a lot of sympathy for her. But then she shows up in someone else’s story (Lena?), and she comes off as so rude! A good reminder to greet others with patience and an open heart. We’re all dealing with our own stories, but we have to also remember we’re only the main central character in our own plot line. I have renewed awe for immigrants and all they go through in an attempt to make things better and easier for their children. There’s a line that’s sticking with me, where one of the mothers wanted her daughter to have American opportunities but with a Chinese mentality. I can’t quote the whole part here, so just go read this and come talk to me. 😉

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Child death, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Death of parent