Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

26 reviews

jaysaysnope's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-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

4.25

Oh, Jonny. I’ve heard other Black people in the diaspora talking about how when they see videos of Māori people doing the haka, they get immediately emotional. Something about seeing an Indigenous people engaging in an ancient practice from their culture, something something slavery and loss of connection to our own cultures. That’s kind of how Jonny makes me feel. The spectre of white supremacy has carved the queerness out of so many of our histories. Reading this when West African countries are codifying homophobia into law, when rates of transphobic violence against teenagers are rising, when Nex Benedict’s death is ruled a suicide… this book made me cry and it made me yearn and it made me laugh. I want ten more books about this NDN princess.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Transphobia

Minor: Pedophilia and Suicidal thoughts

djbobthegirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Transphobia, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Biphobia, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Addiction, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body shaming, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Outing, Physical abuse, and Bullying

Minor: Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Cancer, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Racism, Vomit, Excrement, and Infidelity

dawntin's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

3.5

This book was unabashedly horny, funny, and cringey. Jonny goes through so much crap, being stuck in the double bind of anti-indigenous sentiment from white people, and homophobia from native people. Still, he owns his identity, even when he’s doing questionable things, like wearing his native regalia for his clients. I think the story jumped around too much for me to fully get into it and understand the timeline. But as jarring and confusing as it was to read from Jonny’s perspective, I was still rooting for him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent and Death

angelbabe_cj's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Child abuse, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Body shaming, and Racial slurs

Minor: Death of parent and Eating disorder

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, and Body shaming

tenderbench's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Grief, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Pregnancy

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Drug use, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Cursing, Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Pregnancy

journey2's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

Jonny Appleseed is the story of an indigiqueer 2 spirit (self proclaimed NDN glitter princess), Canadian living in Winnipeg. 

This is the story of Jonny, who has left the rez he grew up on and is now living in Winnipeg. He's working as a cyber sex worker and getting by digital date by digital date, becoming whoever it is that his clients need. 

Jonny is faced with having to return to the rez for his stepfather's funeral. In the week before he heads home he is lost in recollections of the past. Of his mother, of his kokum, and of his on again off again lover since they were preteens. His lover who's not gay. Never. He just likes to be close to Jonny. 
 Jonny visits with him and his girlfriend, both of whom he loves very dearly. 

This book is sad, beautiful, romantic, and heartbreaking on many levels. It deals with love and loss and pain and suffering and discrimination and the mundaneity of life. 

It also deals with family and love and connection and heart. I listened to this on audiobook and I was completely enraptured. It made me think and it made me cry. If you're looking for a sad but beautiful story that will make you very introspective and touch your heart, than this is definitely the book for you. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Death, Racism, Drug use, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death of parent, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Reference to residential schools and their lasting impact on survivors

dfrancis's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Well-written and very interesting. I loved reading about a point of view that is not often heard from: indigenous, two spirit, sex-worker. But I’m not a huge fan of this type of character driven book. There is not much plot at all so it was hard for me to stay motivated to keep going. But it helped that I listened to the audiobook.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Racism

Moderate: Colonisation, Alcoholism, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Child abuse, Death, Addiction, Death of parent, and Transphobia

nkmustdie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Cultural appropriation, Transphobia, Vomit, Grief, Child abuse, Body shaming, Blood, Animal death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Dysphoria, Cursing, Classism, Racism, Bullying, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Colonisation, and Chronic illness