Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Donne che parlano by Maurizia Balmelli, Miriam Toews

91 reviews

daniellekat's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

An interesting take and fictionalization on true events. I’m not sure what I was expecting exactly, given all the hype the movie has gotten, but I flew through this in a weekend. The writing was excellent, although I never felt particularly moved or emotional while reading. This was a slow paced, not plot heavy book without use of quotations. All of those things worked together well for me and lent well to the themes, but I can understand why those factors would turn some readers off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Sexism

Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

linguaphile412's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Misogyny

Minor: Incest, Vomit, and Pregnancy

ptolemystoned's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Vomit, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Domestic abuse

danidimuzio's review against another edition

funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

After seeing the reviews I was a bit nervous to read this book, but I’m glad I did anyway. The writing is very stylized, conversational and wandering, and every once in a while, shocking. I thought the way the author imagined the decision-making process of the women was beautiful and showed a spectrum of female strength. It’s definitely an interesting choice to tell this story from the perspective of a man but I think it highlighted that toxic masculinity is taught and learned, not something that is inherent in men. This is a great book for book clubs and I would even go so far as to say it could be assigned reading for feminist literature or sociology courses.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Suicide

kimberlyds's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Incest, and Suicidal thoughts

chasingpages1's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Minor: Child death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Cursing, Deadnaming, Dementia, and Incest

chelly_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and Suicide

micasreads's review against another edition

3.0

 Between 2005 and 2009, over 130 women of a small Mennonite community in Bolivia were sprayed with belladonna to incapacitate them and then repeatedly raped. The youngest victim was only three years old. Then men were turned over to the authorities in order to save them from a victim who threatened them with a scythe. Now that the men are being bailed out, the women gather to discuss their next move: leave their community, fight the other men in the community to keep the attackers away, or forgive their rapists.

 

This book made my blood boil for all of the expected reasons and possibly one surprising reason. This is the fictionalization of an actual event as told by someone formerly of a Mennonite community. The women hold conversations in a barn to come to a consensus on whether or not to leave their small community for their own safety and that of their children. 

 

The aspect of this book that aggravates me is that the author relies on a male narrator (the character within the story) to tell the women's story. This novel would have been stronger if we had been able to listen to the survivors make their decision instead of having "the minute keeper" offer his interpretation of what was being said. The women were extremely strong characters and having their story told through a male view was extremely off-putting 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Sexual assault

evanlyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Violence, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

bookforthought's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

A poignant, reflective and profoundly inspiring read on the patriarchy and the power of resistance, community and love. For such a short book, it takes its time but is definitely worth it to spend as much time as possible with this memorable cast of characters. The audiobook narrator was fantastic, well worth listening to!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts