Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - The House of Eve

I loved Yellow Wife by this author, but this one felt flat. The best part was the author’s notes and acknowledgements. It is there the reader really understands the author’s purpose. I love the character of Ruby; she was real. Eleanor felt more forced and flat. And William and his mother were so annoying.
The story is good, the characters were so-so, but the ending was surprisingly good.
Also, this book had similar feels to The Home for Unwanted Girls, by Joanna Goodman, When I First Held You, by Anstey Harris, and Take My Hand, by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. All four books use dual timelines/characters to convey their very similar themes: forced institutionalism, adoption, poverty, sexism, unwed mothers, etc. if you liked The House of Eve, I recommend reading the others.

Content Warnings

readingonfordearlife's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

Content Warnings

micalyia's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I ate this book tf up. It was so interesting to me. I was hooked from start to finish, I wanted to know how Eleanor and Ruby would affect each other so badly and the twists and turn along the way kept me on the edge of my seat.

I didn’t read the blurb so I really had no clue what to expect which I think helped in the intrigue of the story.

I loved that we saw background on the characters as this helped them to feel whole. I was able to truly empathize and understand their decisions (even if I didn’t agree with them).

I would 100% recommend that you read the authors note cause when you do you’re going to want to cry for all the women this novel was inspired by.

This book could be highly triggering for some though, so check those out.

Content Warnings

fairytalefootnotes's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

sheisnye's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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 House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson ✨️

Ms. Johnson, excuse me, I think you dropped this ... 👑

I absolutely loved Yellow Wife and The House of Eve was no different. Sadeqa Johnson is 💯 an auto-buy author for me!

In the 1950s, we meet two main characters. Ruby, a 15-year-old in Philadelphia, striving for a full-ride scholarship to college and the first in her family to attend, and Eleanor in DC, who marries into an elite wealthy Black family who doesn't let just anyone in. Eventually, these two characters' stories come together in an unexpected way.

I loved both POVs and could not stop reading! If I had to take a break, I was thinking about when I could get back to reading it again. There are so many layers to these stories, these characters. You know when you receive a gift, and it's wrapped so nicely, and you open it, and it's another box to unwrap, and inside that box is another box, and another box, until you get to the final box with the gift? Reading The House of Eve is like that, except each unwrapping is another gift itself.

(Also, hi, it's me, I wrap gifts like that sometimes to trick the recipient 😂)

The characters were complete, whole characters with flaws. Many harboring secrets, many with unresolved trauma, and all fighting a battle of their own. The writing was excellent, raw, and beautiful. This book is unafraid to explore heavy, taboo topics and dark pasts that we choose to ignore.

This book will stay with me. I will be thinking about it for a long time.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

⚠️CWs: sexual assault of a child, classism, racism, alcoholism, infertility & miscarriage, pregnancy. Check StoryGraph for others mentioned.

Content Warnings

ooohgoshtara's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative 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? No

5.0

A historical fiction set in 1950's Philadelphia and Washington DC. The story follows fifteen year old Ruby and college aged woman Eleanor both black women from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The decisions both women make lead their lives to intersect in an unexpected way. The novel is told from alternating points of view of Ruby and Eleanor. We learn about their lives and backgrounds and the challenges they face as black women in 1950's America. Themes of motherhood, intergenerational issues, racism, colorism, infertility, classism, and love. I felt for both Ruby and Eleanor. I enjoyed the way this story was written. It was heartfelt and gut wrenching. Sadeqa Johnson does an amazing job of immersing us in her novels. I would highly recommend. I thoroughly enjoyed the authors note of how this novel came to be.

Content Warnings

mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional 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

4.25

Content Warnings

More...