Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

We Meant Well by Erum Shazia Hasan

4 reviews

rei_reads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual assault

brogan7's review

challenging informative tense fast-paced

This is a harsh story.  I can't quite decide if it was needed or not.  By the end I felt the author treated her own characters as disposable

Lele could only have a defensible injury if it was more than a sexual assault, if it was public and visible, and Maya could only have power by avenging Lele's attack, letting others mete out brute justice.  This last didn't seem likely to me, neither did Chantal's late awakening to her partner's true colours.

However, the ending isn't the whole book, and the story carries with it many important insights into colonialism and relationships between countries and continents, people trying to help, people doing damage in various ways.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Gaslighting, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Self harm, and Misogyny

Moderate: Infidelity and Fire/Fire injury

teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

This was only on my radar because it was a finalist. It intrigued me, but one big thing I wanted was a conclusion, which I felt we do not get in anyway. This was a big detractor for me. I wasn't really sure of the trajectory and it felt a bit like the main character's life took away from the other events and I didn't see how that part fit. Overall, I enjoyed it, though it was challenging in content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Infidelity and Racism

joannalouise's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Hate crime, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Racism