Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

6 reviews

grace_cr1's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Mental illness, Alcohol, Blood, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Cursing, and Dementia

franceselsie's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

“We are all unreliable.” This is the line that really resonates with me having completed this book. Overall the novel is quite slow paced and follows a daughter reflecting on her complicated relationship with her mother. The last quarter of this book is particularly gripping, and makes you question a lot of what has been presented previously. 

I found one or two of the chapters a bit jarring (such as the chapter when Tara and Antara first visit the Ashram) as they seemed to break the flow of the narrative a bit, but the conclusion and ending is great. I think this novel will stay with me for some time.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Sexual content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

laurataylor's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

creepypiespice's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Racism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion, Child death, Fatphobia, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts

book_perk's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

 What did I just read? I am confused, and disgusted with the inter-familial relationships and longing. There were a few interesting lines and I did enjoy aspects of how the narrator's mental health and mother's disease played off each other. Overall though, the book just fell really flat for me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Dementia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I normally enjoy books which are on the more unusual side and tend to make people feel uncomfortable but this one was a bit hit and miss for me.

I enjoyed how Doshi looked at the almost toxic relationship between the character and the mother and thought how she looked back through the different time frames worked well. She made me question at times who was at fault in that moment and what actually did happen in reality.
I also really enjoyed how Doshi displayed just how effected people can be from events in their childhood without at times realising those effects themselves.

However I found I couldn't warm to or connect with any of the characters and found the stereotypical characterization of the "Indians vs Westerners" to be over the top, caricaturistic and wildly negative. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty