Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Spring by Ali Smith

9 reviews

nreyno's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Islamophobia, Torture, Xenophobia, Trafficking, War, Confinement, Death, Deportation, and Racism

sketchydelusion's review

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Excrement

Minor: Rape, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual assault, War, Self harm, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts

itsbumley's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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

Graphic: Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Classism, Colonisation, Deportation, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

katekenney's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

I had very few preconceptions about this book other than finding the concept of four independent, seasonal novels really interesting. I read this book way faster than expected. The author deftly navigates multiple voices and manages to tell story wrapped in a much bigger story about the unfailing persistence of life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Xenophobia

Minor: Suicide attempt and Trafficking

Non-linear storytelling, some questions left answered

emmybowbemmy's review

reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Self harm, Rape, and Sexual violence

annashan's review

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deportation

Moderate: Trafficking

amelreads's review

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Racism, and Confinement

Moderate: Trafficking, Police brutality, Violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Colonisation

Minor: Torture and Sexual assault

julied's review against another edition

challenging hopeful sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Trafficking, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Racism

writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

 Spring by Ali Smith 🌸
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Long overdue for the #alismithreadalong but it's here!!

🌸 The plot: Richard is a filmmaker who is grieving the death of his close collaborator, Paddy. He's been asked to help adapt a book about Katherine Mansfield and Rainer Maria Rilke, but his new partner is butchering it and without Paddy's insight, Richard doesn't see the point any more. Brit is a worker at an immigration detention centre where the daily meaningless cruelty of the job is wearing away at her humanity. Brought together by chance encounters with Florence, a twelve year old girl with a remarkable gift, Richard and Brit are caught up in a story about connection and hope that is bigger than both of them.

Spring is probably my second favourite of the Seasonal Quartet, but it's the one that I find hardest to read. Its analysis of the UK government's treatment of refugees seems to get more prescient with every passing year: the routine dehumanisation of vulnerable people, the constant directive from right wing media to share nothing, close the doors and send them somewhere else, enshrining cruelty as standard procedure. The aptly-named Brit is an infuriating character, because of the ways in which she suppresses her conscience, acting out of fear and anger and surrendering responsibility for her actions. You want her better nature to win out, but she just doesn't seem ready.

Still, like all Alis, this is ultimately a hopeful book. Richard's story really blazed out at me on this reread, the way it speaks to Ali's devotion to the theme of companionship in all her work. His love for Paddy felt vivid and beautiful despite the pain of his grief, and the message the book leaves you with is that while hostility grows here, resistance and hope do too. Smith dares to suggest that deep under the surface, good things are growing, and while it's only a glimmer of hope, I'll take it.

🌸 Read it if you want to see the impact of Theresa May's hostile environment depicted alongside hope for change and resistance.

🚫 Avoid it if you're sensitive to depictions of suicidal thoughts/ suicide attempts and particularly forced incarceration. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

Minor: Death of parent, Self harm, War, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence