Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

71 reviews

a_bloom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

It took a little while for me to get used to the writing and actually interested in the story, but within a hundred pages it REALLY captured my attention. Her writing is beautiful and descriptive and painfully aware of how her younger self perceived the situation of her birth and life. However, the last few chapters come off awkward as it strays from the usual pacing, but considering she had more autobots it makes sense.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Sexual violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Grief, Death, Blood, Abortion, and Addiction

Minor: Infidelity, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, War, Incest, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, and Slavery

bayliaaron's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Beautiful book by a beautiful woman. One of my favorite autobiographies to this day. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Rape

readwithsaray's review

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

kemrick19's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, and Child abuse

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Rape, Violence, Racism, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Body shaming, Ableism, Sexism, Grief, Mental illness, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Medical content, and Child abuse

Minor: Child death, Bullying, War, Infidelity, Car accident, Police brutality, Torture, Slavery, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Drug use, and Classism

Poverty, WWII, concentration camps, Japanese displacement, homelessness, d slur.

emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, and Racism

mrsdarcylynn's review against another edition

slow-paced

4.0

I think I’m going to bump up my star rating- I had an average reading experience, but that may have been due to the darker elements of the book. In the end, I had a really hard time connecting to the narrative and the “so what”- maybe because I have read other narratives/stories like this one. Or maybe because so many memoirs today take the individual experience and connect it to larger world/societal events. Or maybe I don’t find memoirs about one’s childhood that interesting? 

I struggled with some of the authors outdated views regarding fatness,  being gay, and a few other issues that really took me out of the reading experience. I definitely recommend looking at trigger warnings before diving in- there’s some heavy topics. 

I think I would have benefited from reading some of her other work before her autobiography. Maybe then I would have connected to her writing on a deeper level. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Body shaming, Rape, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, and Death

tigerlark's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Angelou's writing is tremendous! I have found some books of this genre and time period to be quite difficult to understand or get into, but this one was very accessible. A good mixture of inspiring, sad, painful, and funny moments. I could not put it down!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Blood, Rape, and Racism

Minor: Fatphobia

ncason93's review

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Racism

brigsis's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Racism, and Sexual violence