Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

103 reviews

stevienielson's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Child abuse

atomicsushi's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Misogyny, Abandonment, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, and Cancer

crazytourists_books's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

What a great book! The writing is fantastic, it pulls you un this very atmospheric nareation, almost dream (and sometimes nightmare) like, and lets you breathless. 
If the second part of the book was a bit more balanced, it would have been brilliant! 
P.S. patriarchy is really strong in Japan, isn't it? 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, and Death of parent

jonwood's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I thought this was a brilliant character study taking serious, thoughtful stab on psychological issues that should be thought about more, from how culture expectations on appearance and sexuality effect self-esteem to questions about deciding to have a child and how to go about it. Being moving book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Cursing

Minor: Terminal illness and Cancer

anh_read's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad 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? No

4.75

Definitely, a “no plot, just vibes” book. However, I enjoyed the themes that are discussed in this book. In general, the book reflects the struggles of being woman in modern times. 

The first part “Breasts” centers around poverty and changes in your body. The second part of the book, “Eggs” focuses on motherhood and being a single parent. This part often got me reflecting on the struggles on becoming and being a parent. It also made me question to have children. This part is much longer, even more slow-paced. Some points were kind of repetitive. Nonetheless, it was still a wonderful and very informative read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Child abuse, Infertility, and Death

Moderate: Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Cancer, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Body shaming

ahanky'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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Infertility

Moderate: Pedophilia, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape

katygoodhead's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

A poignant account of what it is to be a woman; the human experience and the pain and conflict of the biological pull. It made me question my entire existence. Delicious writing and endearing characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility and Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Death

Minor: Vomit, Rape, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

flaviadeer's review against another edition

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Child abuse

caroisreading's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Mieko Kawakami is becoming one of my favorite, most relatable authors. I read "All The Lovers In The Night" before this, and fell in love with her storytelling and main character. "Breast and Eggs" follows a similar formula of a lost and lonely woman, trying to find meaning. 

This is divided in two parts. Book One was my favorite by far, and as a standalone work, pretty much perfect, a 5.0. I cried at the beauty of her descriptions of the older sister's simple and sweet devotion to her little sister, as well as the strained relationship with her teen daughter. 

Book Two is primarily focused on the younger sister, and I had trouble getting through its density -- beautiful writing, though overwhelmingly verbose. The prose doesn't have the back and forth dynamic that Book One does, switching from the teen's journal entries to the narrator's POV. Maybe that switch made Book Two feel more plain. Still very meaningful.

As a whole, this book delivers on what it means to be a woman in this world, the pressures and injustices, sexuality, the obsession with fertility, youth and appearances. The female characters sort through these themes in a heartbreaking, yet brave and honest way. I loved them, related wholeheartedly with them, and rooted for them.

You'll like this if you're interested in female perspectives, solitary main characters, thoughtful and intelligent writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Cancer, Pedophilia, Rape, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Infertility, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Suicide, Incest, and Misogyny

piierrote's review against another edition

3.0

This book delves into so many interesting topics and experiences, especially since donor conception is such an up and coming topic. Breasts and Eggs wasn’t an uninteresting book, in fact i’d say it is a GOOD book! however i struggled through reading it and felt like my attention was never truly hooked and i was waiting to finish the book to read something id enjoy better.

definitely a book that would hit with certain people, but just didn’t hit in the way other Mieko Kawakami books hit for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Child abuse