Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

5 reviews

saara_ilona_muu's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

Danielle Vitalis narrated this book in an incredibly monotonous tone. The story, itself, is very good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Torture, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Murder, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Abandonment, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Blood, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Incest, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Sexual content

utopiaandmelancholy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

This book is easily the darkest, most traumatic book I have read in a long time, so if there are any subjects you find difficult to read about, it may be best avoided. However, I adored it. The writing had me gripped. I found getting the perspectives of a number of different characters about the central events of the narrative and all the surrounding history really transfixed me to the tragedy of it all. I really felt for most of the characters, trapped in their seemingly hopeless situations - parts of Lala's story made me want to cry. The violence in the story is graphic in places (particularly Mira's chapters at the start), and yet so matter of fact in others. I also really appreciated Mira's storyline and thoughts, both for its exploration of grief, shock, and guilt, and for the way her mixed heritage impacts on her life in Barbados and in England. A heartbreaking and stunning debut.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Rape, and Infertility

Moderate: Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Vomit, Abortion, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Drug use, Incest, and Toxic friendship

emilily's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Child death, Grief, Death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Colonisation and Classism

annabulkowski's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Incest, Infertility, Gun violence, Grief, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, and Confinement

derigibleplums's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-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

5.0

I'm not sure if I liked this book a 5 stars amount or if I just fell in love with Danielle Vitalis's narration. Before I started listening someone described this book as containing nearly every type of violence apart from war and I'd say that's about right really. I was so prepared to be furious with the ending but was pleasantly surprised.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault and Gun violence