Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

22 reviews

mysteriesandhistories's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.25

This was recommended to me in Waterstones and I kind of wish it hadn’t been. Well written and plotted, undoubtedly. But relentlessly disturbing and without a chink of redeeming light. It’s upset me quite a lot actually. Which is a sign of the author’s talent, but not an experience I’d care to repeat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death, Grief, Pedophilia, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

coronationcorgi's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, and Sexual violence

lisa_reads_all_the_books's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Addiction, Murder, Racial slurs, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Rape

emjay2021's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

I went into this knowing next to nothing, just that it was recommended as a good thriller/mystery. It grabbed me from the first two paragraphs and I ended up reading it in less than 24 hours.

I really don’t want to spoil it for anyone else who wants to read it, so I’ll just say that I thought the first 90% was excellent but I did not like the ending.

I think what I didn’t like is that from the last letter to Sally from Angela, we are led to think OK, Sally will likely make a slow recovery and regain the community supports she had worked so hard to build; she’ll be OK-ish despite everything that transpired with her brother in the last few chapters. However, I wanted to SEE that recovery, not just be left thinking it would probably happen. I rarely feel I’m owed anything as a reader, but because I was so invested in Sally’s story and her hard-fought journey to happiness, I did feel I was owed that assurance. I wanted to see at least ONE reconciliation. A letter from Angela is a good start, but it’s one-sided and we don’t know how, or even if, Sally responds. That was what I wanted the author to end with.

However, even though I didn’t like the ending, the first 90% was so good I definitely don’t regret having read it.

This book is funny and touching but also highly disturbing. So, be warned.

First two paragraphs:

“Put me out with the trash,” he said regularly. “When I die, put me out with the trash. I’ll be dead, so I won’t know any different. You’ll be crying your eyes out,” and he would laugh and I’d laugh too because we both knew that I wouldn’t be crying my eyes out. I never cry.

When the time came, on Wednesday, 19th November 2017, I followed his instructions. He was small and frail and eighty-two years old by then, so it was easy to get him into one large garden garbage bag.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Confinement, Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, Pedophilia, Grief, and Rape

Minor: Suicide

ta_ma_ra_gj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Slavery, and Sexism

Minor: Lesbophobia

mallorynturner's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Hmm..this was a tough one to rate. The book definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s really dark and difficult to read periodically throughout, but I feel like the story itself is very different. The narrative through Sally’s eyes really was interesting. I found myself getting frustrated at her & with her at the same time lol 

I’ve seen a lot of reviews saying that they didn’t love the ending. Personally, I felt it was a really appropriate & more realistic ending, which I appreciated. 

I do think there should’ve been more clearly identified trigger warnings for the book as it covers a LOT of difficult topics.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Racism, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Death

nicolestegall's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

Although this was a tough read, I could not put it down. And could not stop thinking about the characters. This will stay with me a very long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, and Medical trauma

ericabailey004's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Murder, Trafficking, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Racism, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Car accident, Sexual content, Torture, and Death

knit_the_resistance's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

Everything about the book is gripping, upsetting, and unsettling... Until the last 4 paragraphs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Death, Blood, Vomit, Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Gore, Grief, Slavery, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Racism, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence

bookellys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

I’ve seen a lot of hype for this book and I think it’s worth it… mostly.

The book alternates between chapters from Sally’s perspective and Peter’s. Whilst the Sally chapters are in the here and now and offer some great character development, the Peter chapters span 40+ years, proving some great back story. Most chapters are short and snappy and I found myself flying through this book!

Let’s talk about the ending - for how long the book had taken to fill you in on backgrounds and build the characters, it felt a little rushed. I think the last chapter for Peter was the exact right ending though (if you can say that?!) but Sally’s ending was disappointing and I don’t think in line with the Sally we, and the characters in the book, had grown to love.

Also, what’s with the book cover? I don’t feel this represents the book at all! Maybe future editions could consider something more in line with the story (a piano or tatty teddy bear perhaps?) or at least closer to Sally’s actual description in the book.

Overall, I think 4 stars is fair and I would definitely recommend you picking this one up if it’s on your TBR.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Racism, Torture, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence