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Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
25 reviews
audacitea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence and Torture
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Body horror, Car accident, Death, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child death, Infidelity, and Suicide
Minor: Kidnapping
roseblossom999's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Genocide, Cursing, Colonisation, Mental illness, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Blood, Sexual content, Murder, Rape, War, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Self harm, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Homophobia, Gun violence, Body horror, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Car accident
rieviolet's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I quite enjoyed the writing style and the elements of magical realism. The narrative was challenging and even brutal at times, but very much captivating.
I have to admit that I generally struggle with unlikeable characters (especially if they are the main characters) but this is a rare case in which I actually appreciated all of these flawed and at times even unpleasant people, they felt very real and well-rounded in their portrayal.
I also liked that the story is deeply grounded in Sri Lankan history but the narration is not weighed down with long-winded explanatory paragraphs (which I really do not like in fiction as they stand out too much and interrupt the narrative flow), the reader has to pick up pieces of historical information as the narration progresses and/or do further reasearch by themself.
I also want to mention that the final revelation of Maali's fate left me completely stunned, I was speechless, floored, I still cannot believe it, it was truly a plot twist that I did not see coming and it landed like a punch to the stomach.
Some episodes/sections left me a bit perplexed
Because, on reflection, once you have seen your own face and recognized the color of your eyes, tasted the air and smelled the soil, drunk from the purest fountains and the dirtiest wells, that is the kindest thing you can say abut life. It's not nothing.
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, War, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Hate crime, Death, Gore, Violence, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Police brutality, and Suicide
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Classism, Child death, Infidelity, Blood, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Confinement, Colonisation, Drug use, Alcohol, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Excrement, Abandonment, Abortion, Outing, Fatphobia, Slavery, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Rape, Car accident, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, and Cancer
zed_dog's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
I was gone on this book from that first paragraph. I loved the irreverent literary voice, the second-person narration, and the way the story encompasses both an incredible scope and an exquisitely detailed setting and cast of characters. The details are by turns hilarious and truly horrific, and I have to add a major caveat to my recommendation: there are lots and lots of gruesome images in this book, (it follows a dead photojournalist in a war zone; he bears witness to terrible things, so we do too), and for some readers the disturbing will outweigh the wonderful. But I loved this book. The magical realism and sense of humor made the heavy subject matter bearable, and the acceleration toward the end literally raised my heart rate. The denouement dragged a bit, but I was reluctant to be parted from the characters so I wasn’t mad about it. Also, the narrator of the audiobook is fabulous—I will definitely be looking out for more from him, and from the author.
Graphic: Gore, Suicide attempt, Torture, Car accident, Violence, Death, Homophobia, and Sexual harassment
miles's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, War, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual harassment
lizzie0601's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
- Clever premise & interesting ideas about non-meaning of life
- Meditation on impact of civil war & whether it is better to seek justice or attempt to forget & move on
- Slow-paced and quite abstract so not easy to read - also felt there was a high entry level of knowledge about the Sri Lankan civil war
- Unlikeable narrator made it difficult to sympathise at first but over time became invested in him as a complicated, morally grey character
- Skilled book technically e.g. use of second person very intentional
Graphic: War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Torture and Homophobia
Minor: Grief, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Car accident, Colonisation, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Hate crime, and Drug use
mayaism_01's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Torture, Suicide, and Drug abuse
faduma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Ableism, Body horror, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Blood, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Xenophobia, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Medical trauma
julesleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Body horror, Genocide, Blood, Death, War, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual assault, Gore, Drug abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Alcohol, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Drug use, Cursing, Classism, and Animal death
apworden's review
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, War, and Death
Moderate: Racial slurs, Murder, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Car accident, Colonisation, Classism, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide attempt, Racism, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Gore, Grief, Genocide, Excrement, and Drug use