Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

224 reviews

hconstable's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

0.5

I thought this book was going to be commentary on the social issues and racism plaguing the Black community.  But this book, frankly, was gross.  This book's purpose at times seemed to just want to talk about bodily functions, animal abuse, and sexual activity including incest and rape.  I just don't understand what literary value this book is supposed to have because I found none.  I wish I could get the hours back that I spent reading it.  I feel gross and in need of a shower.  If the desire was to make Black men seem ignorant, worthless and violent, it succeeded.  I'm too embarrassed to tell anyone I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

historicalmaterialgirl's review against another edition

challenging sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

"Love is never any better than the lover." 💙

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Moderate: Racism

avue's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

baselemil's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

Beautiful writing. Weaves social commentary into the story extremely well. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

mordsfesch's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Violence

Moderate: Racism

reneest's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, and Sexual violence

bearsiies's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

tiredjulia's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, and Violence

aritan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

tallerding's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.0

I have a lot of thoughts and feelings on this book, and none of them are great. I think I just don’t jive with Morrison’s writing. I STRUGGLED halfway through Beloved before calling it quits because I was MISERABLE. This book was at least more coherent and I could *mostly* keep track of who was who, very much unlike Beloved.

Now, are the themes explored here very important, and are the events that take place absolutely vile? Yes times 100. But I found myself truly not caring. These characters did not at all feel real to me, and I couldn’t tell you one defining characteristic that makes one different from another. What happens to Pecola? Absolutely disgusting. But I didn’t care. And as a survivor of SA, that hurts me to say. But she didn’t feel real, so the act didn’t feel real, despite all the gory details.

Morrison has a way with words, she really does. She can certainly paint a picture that will stay with you for a lifetime. But the character development was so lacking that I didn’t care what happened to the characters. And I don’t have enough big brain energy for all the reading between the lines that I feel her work requires.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence