Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

8 reviews

justmys's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Racism, Rape, Vomit, Death, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Violence, Classism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Murder, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Excrement, Incest, Fatphobia, and Animal death

jilliri's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• 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

4.5

It absolutely blew my mind this is based on a true story. The minute I finished I found myself immediately researching the blue people of Kentucky and Packhorse women during the Great Depression. I found this book both captivating and heart wrenching. Showing the horrors of racism, discrimination, poverty and the evils of man. But more than that, the author beautiful contrasted it with the strength, perseverance, acceptance, and love as shown through Cussy Mary’s story. This girl is strong in so many ways. She deserved all the happiness and love that the author ended the book on. It made me excited for the next chapter of her life, where ever that might take her.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Blood

atringas's review

adventurous emotional inspiring slow-paced

• 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

4.0

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a fascinating and in depth exploration of a time and place in history often not spoken of. Although the main character Cussy is a creation of the author, the environment she exists in, as well as her condition and her job, did all absolutely exist. The novel is woven delicately and beautifully to convey the harsh reality and beautiful poetry of life in these rural communities at this point in time, without shying from the challenge and harshness of the same. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Abandonment, Child death, Blood, Bullying, Medical content, Rape, Ableism, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Grief, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Suicide, Incest, Police brutality, Racism, and Stalking

ivyegraves's review

dark sad medium-paced

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

This book is just a young adult novel trying to be an adult novel. The author makes sure to let you know that this woman's life is way worse than any other person in the world including the black people living in this real 1930s town. She specifically states it in multiple parts of the book. The author also went out of her way to call the main character the N-word in this novel instead of finding a different slur. The ending comes out of no-where and the attitudes of characters shift with no rhyme or reason. I absolutely hated this book and wouldn't not recommend to anyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicide, Sexual violence, Rape, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Medical content, and Hate crime

Minor: Alcoholism and Animal cruelty

literatigeek's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Stalking, Racism, Racial slurs, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Alcoholism, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent

ifersinklings's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting look at the blue people of Kentucky. I had no idea blue people existed so it has opened up my interest in learning more about this condition. I also found the story about the book women to be fascinating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit

jenw's review

Brutal, hopeless and depressing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Violence

Minor: Abortion, Animal cruelty, and Miscarriage

horationelson's review against another edition

hopeful medium-paced

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

3.0

 Thoroughly whelmed. As a Kentuckian and a historian, I picked up this because I was interested in the premise; I knew a little about the WPA library projects but was intrigued to learn more. The history itself is good (except for the one glaring error that Richardson acknowledges in the final author's notes; she did it for story purposes and I understand that).

The romance is predictable and handed to the reader. As soon as

Jackson

is introduced, it's obvious a relationship is going to happen. I saw next to no development of said romance, and then suddenly

Jackson

is saying "I love you." Sure.

The thing that bothered me the most was the racism. Even if I allow the concession that the Blues were discriminated against - people are awful most of the time, even now - I find it hard to believe that they were called "colored." It also made me, a white person, feel super uncomfortable that Cussy Mary acted like she was more judged that Queenie, her Black friend. It feels like Richardson wanted to write about race and racism without actually writing about race and racism.

On the other end of the spectrum, and far less important: the narrator of the audiobook version I listened to was obviously not from Kentucky. I know, I know, I'm being picky, but as someone from Kentucky, hearing our towns mispronounced took me out of the story. She was a good narrator otherwise, and had a pretty good Appalachian accent, but maybe learn to pronounce Louisville if you're going to have to read it so many times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Alcoholism and Body shaming