Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

9 reviews

jess_vitale's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I decided to read Silver Sparrow after finishing An American Marriage, which I loved, and I can say the same for this book. I enjoy the author's writing style and the story was engrossing, especially with the two different narrators.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Miscarriage

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, and Infidelity

tree_star's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent

Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexism

lindsayerin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Death

Minor: Child death, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

michelleka's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Miscarriage and Child death

seawarrior's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

In many ways, Silver Sparrow is a very unsettling novel. Yet it is also a fierce, heart-wrenching love story of a family told from the perspective of their youngest generation. Jones made me fall in love with the Yarboro and Witherspoon families, despite their many flaws and the knowledge that the existence of one of James' families would always threaten the other. Jones' prose was wise and biting, and her characterization was inspiringly precise. Every page in this book holds profound meaning for the people involved, and each scene that moved along the timeline of Dana and Chaurisse's lives was never without the higher purpose of showing us who these young women were growing into. The decision to switch between the girls' perspectives midway through the book was jarring at first, but eventually made the story even more poignant, as it was impossible for me to dislike Dana, Chaurisse, or their mothers. It was even difficult to not empathize with James or Raleigh. By the end of the book I felt devastated that these shared families could not forgive each other and find unity, but as Dana says, "some things were inevitable. You’d have to be a fool to think otherwise".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual content, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Rape, and Physical abuse

wellreadmegs's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This is my second book by Tayari Jones and I love how she writes about the complexities of family and relationships. They are real and they are messy but that is life. It was interesting to hear from the perspective of the "other family." Obviously, you don't feel as bad for the other woman, but you empathize with the child that was brought up in this world. Who has to deal with this deck of cards that life gave her & something that was entirely out of her control. 

It was a little confusing at times when they switched back and forth from Dana & Chaurisse's narrations since their lives were so intertwined and you had to remind yourself who was speaking. The ending felt harsh and abrupt, but again, I guess that's life. 

I would have liked to know more about their lives as they got older since we only got a glimpse. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Infertility and Child death

internationalreads's review

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Rape, Drug use, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

sarah984's review

emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

"People say, that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But they are wrong. What doesn’t kill you, doesn’t kill you. That’s all you get. Sometimes, you just have to hope that’s enough."

This is a beautifully written book about how easily children can internalize things adults say off-handedly and then forget, and about living in the shadow of someone who doesn't even know that you exist. Both protagonists have strong voices, and the characters around them feel real. This book is a slow-motion car crash you can't look away from.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Racial slurs and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, and Sexual assault