Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono

7 reviews

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Child abuse, and Homophobia

Moderate: Rape, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Incest, and Pregnancy

Minor: Colonisation

nat_kiverse's review

dark emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug use, Slavery, Rape, Physical abuse, Outing, Infertility, Homophobia, Cursing, Violence, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Sexual content, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Abandonment, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Murder, Infidelity, and Incest

duarshe's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-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

5.0

Sinceramente, no esperaba que me gustase tanto, pero lo hizo. Es exactamente lo que necesitaba leer: algo corto, ameno y que a la vez enganchase y me mantuviese entretenida. La verdad es que puede llegar a ser una lectura fría y dura de leer, pero demuestra y da voz a una realidad latente.

A pesar de que tomé el libro por una de mis clases universitarias, no me arrepiento en lo más mínimo de haberlo leído. Ojalá todas las lecturas obligatorias fuesen así de interesantes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Colonisation, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child abuse, Infertility, Sexual violence, and Rape

Minor: Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Death of parent

bitterseason's review against another edition

challenging reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Incest, Rape, and Outing

Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Death, Infertility, Colonisation, and Adult/minor relationship

morebedsidebooks's review

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Outing, Homophobia, and Rape

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Sexual content

Minor: Pedophilia, Death of parent, Alcohol, Incest, Colonisation, Infertility, and Murder

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

 La Bastarda is apparently the first book by a woman author from Equatorial Guinea to be translated into English. It’s a very slim volume with straightforward structure and prose. It is the story of Okomo. Her mother died in childbirth and she lives with her maternal grandparents. Nobody will give her any information about who her father is. Her grandparents are keen for her to marry, a rich man. But she is already in love. With a girl named Dina. Okomo’s Fang culture does not treat gay men well and they do not even recognise the existence of gay women. There is no word in the language for them.

I found this very accessible and readable. The insight into different cultural practices and beliefs was fascinating. Learning about life in other countries is interesting in its own right by it also gives me a new lens through which to examine life in my own country. I really felt for Marcelo (her uncle, a gay man or man-woman as the Fang culture derisively labelled him) under so much pressure to impregnate a woman whose own husband cannot, and Okomo who was simply unable to live the way tribal custom dictated. Thankfully both Marcelo and Okomo were able to find support with a found family of others who lived in the forest.

A useful book to read to gain more of an international perspective on gay rights, and a satisfying story to boot. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Incest, and Sexual assault

discotits's review

hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Incest, and Child abuse

Moderate: Homophobia