Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

17 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

amateur_bookworm's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad 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

Genre: Historical fiction

My rating: 4

My summary: Set in Kentucky in 1936, Cussy is a 19-year old packhorse librarian, living at home with her coal miner father after her mother passed away about a year prior. Cussy, also known as Bluett, has a unique condition that makes her skin appear blue. This story follow Cussy through a series of life events and the people she interacts with in this poverty-stricken area, as well as the tribulations of being treated as a colored person during this time. 

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, mostly due to the narrator, she was perfect as Cussy. It was an emotional read at times, listening to the difficulties and tragedies both Cussy and other characters in the book encountered, as well as the triumphs they experienced and the small joys they were able to find. Before this, I was unaware of the “Blue People of Kentucky” and I was interested enough to research a bit on it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming and Sexual violence

Moderate: Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal cruelty and Child death

katieem's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, and Rape

omgmkg's review

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

I really loved this book! Historical fiction, strong women, dealing with difference, and loving books are all my jam in stories, so that helps a lot. I really enjoyed learning about the Packhorse Librarians and the adventurous aspects of the story. I thought the narrative was well crafted and tied together well, and I felt like I understood much more about Appalachia in the Depression because of this book. I fell in love with Cussy Mary and her patrons, and with the ways she found to relate to them and gain their trust (not just as a blue person but sort of as a government social program representative). 

The harm that comes to people that are not Cussy Mary in this book could have been a bit melodramatic, but I think it was just realistic enough and well written enough to pass. I agree with others that the violence Cussy Mary faces is at times a bit gratuitous… but also realistic. 
I share concerns that perhaps this was not the author’s story to tell. I 
 do not believe that the author meant to imply that being Blue was just as discriminated against as being Black in Appalachia/Philadelphia at the time, but I agree that too many parallels were being drawn. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Body shaming, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Miscarriage

someryarns's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Incest, Murder, Suicide, Body shaming, and Rape

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

snowhite197's review

emotional hopeful informative sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Medical content, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Sexual violence

schaunabraie3's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring 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

5.0

Historical fiction usually isn’t my thing but I wanted to try something new when Booktenders WV posted about reading this for their book club.

I started it but got sick and had to miss. I would have usually just stopped reading it, but for some reason I didn’t and kept reading.

And wow…I can’t even wrap my head around it. I’m sitting here thinking of all the emotions in such a short time.

When fantasy is read it is all made up, but Kim Richardson did her research and poured her heart into this book and it shows.

I’ll probably make a video about how unbelievably amazing this book and what it talks about, but if you love to read…put this one on your list

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Violence, Sexual assault, Stalking, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

espressoreader's review

emotional hopeful informative 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Body shaming, Racism, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Rape, and Chronic illness

lyssylyssy's review

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Hate crime, and Body shaming

Moderate: Sexual violence, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Rape, and Racial slurs

Minor: Abortion and Death of parent