Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

House of Stone by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

3 reviews

mnatale100's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Blood, Colonisation, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, War, Addiction, Genocide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Deportation, Death of parent, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, and Sexual content

Minor: Infidelity

quinnjuliac's review

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I’m glad I stuck with this book although the first 1/3 of it was challenging. The narrator is very unreliable and the tale is quite meandering, but throughout the book it becomes clear what is being intentionally concealed from vs revealed to the reader. The book gave really vivid insight into the range of traumas the people of Zimbabwe have experienced over the last 50 years and how their traumas impact their relationships and families and are passed on through generations. I kind of had to resolve to stick with this book as it wasn’t clear where it was going to go for a lot of the time. In summary I’m glad I read it.  Holy content warning!! Watch out if you struggle with violence or genocide.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Child death, Grief, Alcohol, Violence, Death, Colonisation, and Animal cruelty

ellekhupe's review

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

 This was an incredibly difficult book for me to read. Difficult because it was personal. It was devastating and it left me reeling. It's a story that needed to be told. It's a story that many people who, like me are from the part of Zimbabwe where this story is set, grew up hearing stories like this one, but there's something about seeing the story written down that's both powerful and heartbreaking. I didn't particularly enjoy the writing style but a MUST read if you have any interest in some of Zimbabwe's history during and shortly after independence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcoholism