Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

14 reviews

lazmataz's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Death, Blood, Xenophobia, Slavery, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Misogyny, Violence, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Minor: Abortion, Suicide, and Animal death

feliciaguestwrites's review

4.0

I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this novel, given its content. But I can happily say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. While a few creative liberties were taken here and there, I think that Sue Monk Kidd did an incredible job of filling in the blanks, crafting a story that we as readers could relate to and a heroine that could be admired. Ana was ambitious, resilient, and courageous, not to mention witty and scholarly, in a time where a woman possessing any of those traits was condemned. As a historian, it was especially interesting to see the influence of feminist theology in her writing. Overall, this was a thought-provoking story with an interesting perspective!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Body horror, Blood, Miscarriage, and Violence

Moderate: Slavery and Sexism

jwicks's review

informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Pregnancy, Slavery, Blood, Death, Religious bigotry, and Grief

danicakvcs's review

emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Murder, Death, Miscarriage, and Child death

Moderate: Slavery, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Torture, Rape, and Suicide

musicalpopcorn's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective 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

3.75

This is the story of Ana, wife of Jesus, but also author, friend, and prophet in her own right.

I quite enjoyed this story and how it wove through the biblical life of Jesus. Despite the subject matter, it never felt preachy and kind of made Jesus more accessible as a man who lived a full life before his crucifixion. 

I enjoyed the characters and felt attached to the story, even though the ending was clear from the beginning (as I suppose it would be given the subject).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Blood

Moderate: Miscarriage

maddiebusick's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Torture, Murder, Sexism, Rape, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Medical content, Misogyny, and Suicide

Minor: Alcohol, Deportation, Police brutality, and Slavery

kelly_e's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

Title: The Book of Longings
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: March 23 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Tender • Imaginative • Historic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Set in the first century, Ana is a gifted young woman secretly writing stories in a male dominated society. She comes from a wealthy family, and is expected to marry a rich, older widower, but an encounter with 18-year-old Jesus will change everything.

The Book of Longings is the story of their marriage and one women's determination to realize her passion and potential.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I was super excited to read The Book of Longings because I had loved Sue Monk Kidd's previous works. When I originally bought this book, I hadn't read the premise, and when I finally did I was hesitant to jump in. On the urging from several book friends to give it a chance, I did just that and here are my thoughts.

It is flawlessly and beautifully written with each sentence flowing into the next.
It is well researched and presented. The author even mentions where she erred on dates in the name of creative freedom to help with flow.
It is imaginative, the plot is definitely unlike any historical fiction I've read before.
It is an ode to fierce females with Ana being one of the most courageous characters in recent memory, especially in a male dominated society.

But...

It was just not for me. I couldn't remove the religious aspect from my experience, and all the biblical detail and reference were hard for me to focus on.

Don't let that deter you. This is hands down one of those cases where it was me and definitely not the book.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• bookclubs
• readers who love a fierce female lead

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"When you're in love, you remember everything." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, and Sexism

Moderate: Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide, Blood, and Domestic abuse

death of partner

kcarney86's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Grief, Misogyny, and Torture

Moderate: Antisemitism and Blood

Minor: Rape, Murder, Abandonment, Suicide, Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

bandysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is basically the telling of Jesus’ life through the eyes of his wife. She explains her absence from the biblical stories and he’s written in a way that he’s just a normal man, not a deity. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Slavery, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Death, and Violence

lokilledrome's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Blood, Murder, Sexual assault, Slavery, Rape, Classism, Death, and Domestic abuse