Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

4 reviews

liesbethvv's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I'm having a hard time rating this book. On the one hand, it took me quite some time to get into it, had a relatively slow start for me. There were no loveable characters to get attached to, but this made the reading experience more interesting and nuanced. I'm not convinced that the changed title (from 'Girl in White Cotton') was a good choice contentwise, although I agree it is more enticing. I don't really love

open endings, but it felt quite good in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Abandonment

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Violence

sabotheking's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Drug use, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Torture, Abandonment, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, and Medical content

Minor: Incest

savvylit's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

Burnt Sugar's opening sentence sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the novel: "I would be lying if I said my mother's misery has never given me pleasure." What follows that powerful confession is a brutal, raw take on a deeply toxic mother-daughter relationship. From that first sentence until the last, I found myself repeatedly cringing over Antara's seemingly endless suffering and alienation.

The character-driven nature of this story brings the ramifications of intergenerational trauma and neglect into stark relief. Tara is an irredeemably awful mother. Her intense narcissism rears its ugly head over and over again, forcing Antara to always feel as though she is an extension of her mother instead of her own autonomous person. Thus, when her mother loses her memory Antara loses not only her mother but herself. Doshi beautifully describes their intertwined lives in this book, keeping a very dark story continuously compelling.

If you are a fan of dark character-driven novels and poetic writing, add Burnt Sugar to your list!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Child abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body shaming and War

Minor: Incest

penelopereads's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Can’t make up my mind about this book. It’s uh... transgressive. I was filled with a sense of dread reading it. It’s grimy.
The storytelling is good though and you name it - the author went there. The writing also stopped me in my tracks a few times.
Still, I don’t really know what to think. Is it really bad or really good? Someone please tell me where I should land.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Fatphobia, Excrement, Pedophilia, Vomit, Incest, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Racism, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault