Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

La chica salvaje by Delia Owens

23 reviews

theteamsreader's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

A beautifully written and cultivated book.  The writing is incredible and the way the author lures you in with a permanent backdrop of nature and unique characterisation is brilliant.  However, plot-wise, this book just wasn't  my cup of tea.  I recommend this to anyone who wants a nature-filled story with a murder mystery subplot and a large focus on coming-of-age drama.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Classism, Grief, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infertility, and Stalking

hayleygray's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

The entire time I read this book, I was sad, happy and angry all at the same time as learning educational things through Kya’s love for the marsh. I read this book within 3 days because I could not put it down. And when I did put it down, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up again. 
I truly thought I knew who the murderer was but I was so shocked at the last few pages. This was an incredible story about love, acceptance, difference and the harsh realities of the natural order of everything and every living species. 
I cannot wait to see the movie after reading this! Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Murder, Death of parent, and Bullying

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexism, Self harm, and Adult/minor relationship

theperksofbeingbabs's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Racism

Minor: Slavery

bcooper21's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Racism, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Racial slurs, and Sexual content

Moderate: Slavery, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, and Pregnancy

Minor: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

atalea's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Racism, Murder, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying, Slavery, and Sexism

saurahsaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

Updated 7/20/22. I am not one of those who believes that an artist’s works should be separated from their personal life. If I am going to spend my money and time on something, I want it align with my values—or at least not blatantly violate my conscience. Shortly after finishing this book, I discovered that the author, her husband, and her stepson were wanted for questioning related to their potential involvement in the murder of an alleged poacher in Zambia. The White Savior tropes and

approval of the main character getting away with murder

all make sense now. Even without the knowledge that the author’s stepson was potentially involved in the murder of a Zambian man in a formerly colonized country and that the author and her then-family fled the country instead of cooperating with investigators, this book made me uneasy. It was exasperatingly self-indulgent in the way it dealt with race and racism, to the point that the Black characters seemed almost cartoonish in their irreality. (Read: an entire community of Black people, who had never met Kya—a White outsider—

parted like the Red Sea when Kya came to their segregated neighborhood for Jumpin’s funeral.

)

I think that this type of racism (White Savior and ever-so-grateful Black people who cannot be the architects of their own salvation) is inherently harmful, but bearing the author’s personal history in mind, it takes on a new level of sinisterness. It reeks of White guilt and fragility, and bears entirely too much resemblance to the author’s life to be coincidence.

I previously gave this book a 2.75, but it truly deserves a zero for the author’s real life sins.

Original review: The author has such a distinct style of writing, and her prose can be strikingly beautiful—intermittently simple and abstruse. However, I have two main issues with this book. Chiefly, I felt like certain aspects of this book weren’t consistent in conveying the social mores of the time, or their severity. I understand that racial inequality is difficult to convey and a sensitive topic, but I always have to wonder why an author chooses a time period in which this is a salient issue, only to not effectively capture its essence. It very much felt like a White person trying to portray the experience of Black Americans at the time. For instance, despite being a small and deeply segregated town,

the judge decided on the spot that a trial that occurred in his court would be integrated, and that anyone who disagreed would not be welcome. It just didn’t seem realistic.

As another example,

when Jumpin’, a Black supporting character and a close friend of Kya’s, was being threatened by some White boys, Kya just happened to be in the right place at the right time. She defended Jumpin’ by incapacitating the two boys.

It felt very much like a “White Savior” moment to me. Furthermore,

when one of the Black characters dies in the book, the whole town comes out to attend his funeral and every Black person that attended stepped aside for Kya…despite none of them knowing her.

It was all very weird and didn’t feel realistic or consistent with the racism depicted—either implicitly or explicitly. As yet another example,

at one point, Kya even compares her situation to situations that have befallen Black women and says it’s the exact same. Seriously? Even as an outcast, Kya was a WHITE WOMAN. I don’t think I need to explain why Kya’s life experiences would have been drastically different from a Black woman in the same position. Kya may have been discouraged from visiting certain places, but she had a legal right to do so. Black people at the time were legally barred from many establishments. Furthermore and most importantly, (massive spoiler ahead) if a Black person had been accused of murdering a White man in 1970, in a small and segregated town, I cannot see how they would’ve possibly been acquitted or had any semblance of a fair trial. How is that the same? Ugh.

My second main issue was the ending. Massive spoiler ahead.

I don’t even know what to say, really. I mean, sure I get why Kya would do what she did, but then I feel like it completely nullifies all of the lessons the book is supposed to be teaching and preaching about. Kya was ostracized, which was horribly wrong, but then the towns people were actually right about her committing murder? And I felt like the book implied that they were wrong for being prejudiced and jumping to conclusions. Sure, their reasoning was prejudiced but they ended up being right. If you’re gonna have Kya, this person who’s supposed to be innocent and wild and free and a bit weird but harmless, be the killer…then lean into that. There was not really a whole lot of duality to her (eg a dark side) that would have made that plot twist make sense. So why do it, if not for shock value? It just felt really inconsistent with her character. I would have actually rooted for Kya to get away with murder (in fiction only!) if that dark side had been established earlier on and not just out of nowhere.

Anyway, I enjoyed parts of this book but I don’t see myself re-reading it. There are so many books out there, and I’m almost frustrated that I spent time reading this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Racism, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, and Stalking

Minor: Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

A note on the sexual violence and harassment tags, which contains a significant spoiler but is not detailed:

the violence was attempted, but not successful.

If you would like specific details, then please keep reading. However, please note that they may be triggering or disturbing. I have tried to be as brief as possible. If you would not like further spoilers (or you find this information too disturbing), then please do not read.

In the scene, someone who the main character knows very well sneaks up on her, and attempts to rape her. He manages to partially remove her clothing and is about to commit sexual assault, but the main character is able to fight him off and flee. In the process, both individuals inflict injuries on each other.

A note about the stalking tag:

I’m not entirely sure that the technical term would be stalking, but the main character is forced to hide from another character (whom she knows very well) because it is likely that he intends to grievously harm her. He attempts to find her, but does not track her. This could be due to the fact that the main character is especially evasive, and therefore he was unable to stalk her.

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. This book is such an incredible journey led by perseverance, love, and survival. While it was slow to start, I felt entirely taken in by the story and held in its palms as if I, too, were finding my way through life amongst the marshes of 1960s South Carolina. 

Owens’ writing is poetic and strong, beautiful and sad, honest and rhythmic in a way not often associated with works published in the last ten years. I felt the nuances of Harper Lee coming back to me while reading this one, as Kya’s story of resilience, prejudice, loss, and heartbreak reminded me in ways of “To Kill A Mockingbird”. In both acclaimed novels, there is a clear distinction and cowardice in regards to class and upbringing especially, but also race and education. 

“Where The Crawdads Sing” is first a celebration and clarification of nature and its constants, every little piece of the earth that gives and takes, ebbs and flows. I’ve never before read such lyrical accounts of nature and its secrets. 

But this is also a book about love, how it flourishes and wants and haunts and disappoints and endures. The emotion over rare feathers easily coincides with the years of affection between friends, lovers, family. 

The heavy weight of murder and death hangs over all elements throughout the story, though it never takes away from the poignant, beautiful account of life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Classism, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Confinement

Minor: Mental illness and War

cianarae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, Infertility, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Rape, and Racial slurs

Minor: Drug use, Infertility, Self harm, and War

coco_5's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

so good like wow. i read it in a day. breathtaking

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Mental illness, Stalking, Death of parent, and Cancer

Minor: Slavery

lane_reads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Grief, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Alcoholism, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Car accident, Child death, War, Slavery, and Sexism