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ldpaige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Morrison tends to lean to the macabre and the countercultural, which is normally for me. This just didn't translate the way I would have liked for it to.
Graphic: Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
charisw'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
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
lisesenb'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
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Classism
seullywillikers'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
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
lindseyas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
aritan'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
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery and Religious bigotry
Minor: Gun violence and Miscarriage
vvaanneessssaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
mikarala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
But again, that's kind of the point. This isn't supposed to be an easy read. It's horrifying, but it's meant to be because Morrison wants to depict how intergenerational trauma and internalized racism have affected the Black community. So for that reason, I found this hard to rate. In terms of getting its message across, I give this book 5 stars. But I just hated this experience of reading this so much (seriously, watch out for all the content warnings) that I can't really rate it higher.
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide and Excrement
booknerd_therapist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can see why white people are so disturbed by it. *I* am disturbed by it and I was prepared (somewhat) for controversial issues.
When I sit with and look past my discomfort.... what is underneath that is wonderment that white children are so shielded from the horrors black children are exposed to regularly.* I can see why white parents are so reactive.... if their white children had any idea what their black friends, teammates, frenemies, etc had to live with, it would shatter everything their mostly-white schools, churches, sports teams, etc were trying to teach them about the world and their place in it.
I do recommend this to my white friends because I believe it is equally valuable to any non-fiction antiracist book when it comes to challenging racism. And it is a beautiful work on its own. Just be prepared to sit with your discomfort.
*One of the recurring themes in the book is sexual abuse. I feel the need to give a disclaimer that sexual abuse is absolutely not a racial issue, but rather an issue children in general are exposed to. Part of the author's overall goal is to speak to the lives of children and their inherent vulnerability.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Death