Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

18 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

glubglubglub's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Rape, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Stalking, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Incest, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, and Police brutality

larissakoch's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Racism, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Child death

samburkhouse's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Stalking, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Rape, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Sexism, Pregnancy, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Misogyny

Minor: Animal cruelty, Classism, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Terminal illness

kyrstin_p1989's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-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

3.5

I usually love historical fiction but this one took so long to get going that I struggled a lot at first. It didn’t really take off for me until about 100 pages in which is nearly halfway, and that’s why I didn’t rate it higher. The second half of the book kept me reading and I didn’t want to put it down. The historical aspects of the KY Pack Horse program and the blue people of Kentucky were fascinating as a native Kentuckian, especially because I had never heard of the former prior to reading this book. The story is sad and tells of the hardships of rural, Appalachian life in the 1930’s and 40’s with candor and grace. It definitely makes you appreciate the technological, medical, and social advancements we’ve made and just how hardy a people the folks from mining country truly are. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abandonment, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Vomit, Stalking, Sexual violence, Abortion, Addiction, Body horror, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Grief, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide

mels_reading_log's review

dark emotional inspiring fast-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? Yes

4.5

This story takes place in the mountains of Kentucky in 1936 and follows the life of a Pack Horse Librarian who takes books to those without access. She is also one of the historic blue people of Kentucky, so she deals with all of the disrespect and ignorance that goes along with 1930’s racist southern small town life. She values reading and education and knows that it is important for her patrons, especially the children, to be able to make a better life for themselves. As a former school social worker and someone who grew up in a small town in the south, I related to so much about her mission to help those in need and care and love on those you encounter. I’m about to start the sequel right now!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Chronic illness, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Classism, Death, and Stalking

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide

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

pidgepodge's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Police brutality, Murder, Sexual harassment, Racism, Violence, Hate crime, and Stalking

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Racial slurs

jharman44's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Blood, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Bullying, Racial slurs, Rape, Stalking, Suicide, and Adult/minor relationship

letha_anderson's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

 The subject matter is interesting, but I had difficulty investing in the story.  A lot of the book is devoted to providing tiny details about how the main character does her job.  Knowing those details doesn’t really impact the story.  Most of these details could be left out, and it would not change the way the plot unfolds or the characters evolve.  I feel like the author was determined to cram the entirety of her research into this one novel – to the detriment of the story.  Additionally, the writing style is unnecessarily wordy, which I don’t enjoy.  I’ll leave some examples in spoilers.

 

Overly descriptive writing examples. 

“Above, fat thunderclouds sailed off to the east, the sheets of rain curtaining layered grandfather ridges that rose beyond.”  

“Then he was gone, his handprint a milk-ghosted blur disappearing into glass, a shiver left needling my spine.” 

“He wore a black floppy hat with a raccoon dick fastened above the brim, what the bootleggers placed in a still’s copper worm to direct the flow into the catch jug so there wouldn’t be any loss of shine, and a handy way to alert a thirsty fellar he was in the business.” 

“When R.C. Cole spotted me late Wednesday morning, he raised his arm, let out a whoop atop the tower railing, and flew down the steps barefoot like a bald hornet had lit after him, the steel stairs trumpeting an echo across Hogtail Mountain that clanged against rock face.” 

“I snapped the pair case shut, slipped the timepiece back into my skirts, and watched from atop Junia behind a thicket of brush and tall briar on a knoll as folks set up tables below, went about fancying the town for their big two-day celebration.” 

Reference: Richardson, Kim Michele. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (p. 141, 148, 150, 154, 210). Sourcebooks. Kindle Edition. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Rape, Chronic illness, Police brutality, Racism, Stalking, and Sexual violence