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timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
4.0
Read for book club. Parts are graphically brutal, to the point that I thought seriously about not finishing it. But, in the end, I'm glad to have read this. The voice of the narrator will stick with me for a long time.
atharp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
First off don’t read this book without checking trigger warnings. It is not for the light hearted. This book will make you uncomfortable and break you apart. It is heartbreaking but so incredible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
shannanh's review against another edition
4.0
So, this was kinda an odd read. While the writing was great, it was very triggering, and this is coming from someone that doesn't get triggered a whole lot. It's probably why I tend to stay away from most dark reads. Not to mention, most of the characters were horrible people and for the most part, unredeemable. The only ones who were not were Mireille, her in laws and her sister. Her husband was redeemable at times, and her father, well, I'm going to keep my opinion to myself about him.
ri_shin's review against another edition
1.0
This book traumatised me, just sadness and suffering, its my fault I should have read up on it but instead I went in blind. Very gruesome and never again will i read books without doing some research before picking them up.
karen_hallam's review against another edition
5.0
I'm an emotional mess after reading this. I need time to digest before I comment. But wow, what an important book to read. I may never be the same since finishing this.
moi_stephanie's review against another edition
5.0
WOW. WOW. WOW.
Such a brilliantly written book, causing you to squirm with the main character's suffering.
Trigger warning. Not an easy read in terms of the topics it touches.
Definitely a must read.
Could've maybe done without the last couple of chapters, but it doesn't affect my general rating.
Such a brilliantly written book, causing you to squirm with the main character's suffering.
Trigger warning. Not an easy read in terms of the topics it touches.
Definitely a must read.
Could've maybe done without the last couple of chapters, but it doesn't affect my general rating.
yikesbmg's review against another edition
5.0
This is book is truly something. My initial thoughts:
-It is at once the most romantic and most violent book I have ever read. Gay juxtapositions scenes of extremely tender moments from Miri’s past with the most awful, awful moments of her present. The characters talk a lot about how the Haiti they see is very beautiful but broken simultaneously, and the structure of the book helped me understand what they meant. The structure reminded me a lot of “A Little Life” except its inverted — in that book the trauma is past, the beauty is the present. Reading this book helped me understand critics that said “A Little Life” was voyeuristic.
-I have read a lot of accounts of sexual violence and rape, but this book is the first and only thing where I felt like I understood the magnitude of what that violence does to a person. It is devastating, and I think everyone — especially cisgender men — who has not faced such violence should read this book.
-The honesty that defined Michael and Miri’s relationship before her kidnapping actually shocked me. The honesty, how clearly they saw one another, their very plain desire to just be there for one another. I really don’t know if relationships like theirs are possible but jesus christ a bitch will now dream. I loved loved loved love that Miri was not easy, that she was very clearly hard to love and difficult. I love the relationship and duty she feels towards, and is reciprocated by her mother in love.
It is weird to say this is now one of my favorite books because the content is so terribly violent, but it is because it’s truly a literary work. I had physical reactions to this book, had to turn away from the page. I could so clearly picture what was going on and it made me want to vomit and scream at the same time. Roxane Gay is a writer, a really fucking good writer.
-It is at once the most romantic and most violent book I have ever read. Gay juxtapositions scenes of extremely tender moments from Miri’s past with the most awful, awful moments of her present. The characters talk a lot about how the Haiti they see is very beautiful but broken simultaneously, and the structure of the book helped me understand what they meant. The structure reminded me a lot of “A Little Life” except its inverted — in that book the trauma is past, the beauty is the present. Reading this book helped me understand critics that said “A Little Life” was voyeuristic.
-I have read a lot of accounts of sexual violence and rape, but this book is the first and only thing where I felt like I understood the magnitude of what that violence does to a person. It is devastating, and I think everyone — especially cisgender men — who has not faced such violence should read this book.
-The honesty that defined Michael and Miri’s relationship before her kidnapping actually shocked me. The honesty, how clearly they saw one another, their very plain desire to just be there for one another. I really don’t know if relationships like theirs are possible but jesus christ a bitch will now dream. I loved loved loved love that Miri was not easy, that she was very clearly hard to love and difficult. I love the relationship and duty she feels towards, and is reciprocated by her mother in love.
It is weird to say this is now one of my favorite books because the content is so terribly violent, but it is because it’s truly a literary work. I had physical reactions to this book, had to turn away from the page. I could so clearly picture what was going on and it made me want to vomit and scream at the same time. Roxane Gay is a writer, a really fucking good writer.
duygusu's review against another edition
4.0
I understand both the positive and negative reviews. I just want to say, if you are triggered by abuse, violence, rape etc, then DO NOT read this book.
But if you want to know and understand the psychological affect of these, or how a victim can act the way they do afterwards, then this is a gem.
But if you want to know and understand the psychological affect of these, or how a victim can act the way they do afterwards, then this is a gem.