Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

33 reviews

whattheredheadread's review

funny lighthearted 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? No

3.5

It took me awhile to get into this book, but I did enjoy the story when I did. I really liked the main character, Jo, and couldn’t help but root for her.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

hannahryan08's review

lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Racism

Moderate: Racial slurs and Violence

Minor: Blood

zombiezami's review against another edition

4.25

I loved this book! The voice of the protagonist Jo was truly endearing, and I loved the twists and turns of the narrative. Also, it's rare to see books about Asian Americans' presence in the South. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Misogyny, and Bullying

Moderate: Infidelity, Blood, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Slavery, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia

lynching, hanging, misogynoir

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful medium-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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Bullying

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual harassment and Blood

kayladaila's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

4.5

The Downstairs Girl tells the story of Jo Kuan, a Chinese American woman struggling to find her place in post-Civil War Georgia. Jo is employed as a servant for a wealthy family while she lives illegally in the basement of a struggling newspaper owner’s house. She decides to write an advice column to help her upstairs neighbor boost newspaper sales and give herself an outlet. 

Stacey Lee seamlessly touches on so many themes over the course of The Downstairs Girl. My favorite was Lee’s handling of intersectional feminism. From Jo’s column to her involvement with the Women’s Rights movement, there is so much to unpack, and sadly, most of it still needs to be unpacked today. 

The Downstairs Girl reminded me of Last Night at the Telegraph Club. It didn’t help that Emily Woo Zeller read the audiobook for both. However, they are both about young Chinese American women dealing with inter-generational conflict and discrimination. I think these books are worth looking at next to each other. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Abandonment and Infidelity

Minor: Death of parent, Hate crime, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racial slurs, and Rape

bookswithmybulldog's review

reflective slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Slavery

Moderate: Abandonment and Bullying

jashanac's review

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia

Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Sexism

Minor: Sexual harassment

qingxuanluvr's review

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I'm not usually one for historical fiction without a bit of magic and/or dragons thrown in, but The Downstairs Girl hooked me from the beginning.  From the halfway point, I just couldn't put it down.  The way the plot twists smacked me towards the end were phenomenal and the relationship between Jo and Old Gin was absolutely beautifully woven - the heart of the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Misogyny

Moderate: Abandonment

katymaryreads's review against another edition

emotional informative lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

This was an enjoyable YA read, but with rather too much going on. Numerous interlocking storylines, and several of them - concerning difficult and emotional issues - were wrapped up rather too easily or glossed over. Still it was a fun read, and I learnt some things about the southern USA in the late 19th century that I hadn't known before.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Infidelity

tesshersh's review

funny lighthearted 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? No

3.5

a little predictable but all in all a fun read :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Xenophobia