Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Donne che parlano by Maurizia Balmelli, Miriam Toews

68 reviews

nota_candycaine's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Misogyny

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexism, Ableism, and Drug use

anastasia_s's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

The book has really interesting characters in it, yet is heavily plot driven. Perhaps the book would serve the topic of women's struggle better, if the characters were given more space and development. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Rape, and Murder

elliethelibrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

adabubba's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

Miriam Toews is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors, and Women Talking is only solidifying that stance.

There’s nothing I could say that could emulate the beauty of this book and what a pleasure it was to read, so I’ll leave you with my favourite quote:

“What good is it to be alive if you are not in the world?” (Toews 215).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Misogyny

dhrutigopaluni's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

2.25

I had a hard time rating or reviewing this book because on the one hand, I was invested enough to read through the end, but on the other hand, it employs my least favorite writing mechanism. I really struggle with authors who choose to fictionalize a historical occurrence, especially one that is so traumatic. Unless there is explicit documentation, we do not necessarily know how the actual figures felt or what they thought, and to put words in their mouths or their minds seems to me to be vastly disrespectful. I also did not understand or care for the inclusion of the male narrator’s weird obsession with Ona - what was the point of that? I also thought it odd that August was translating all of the dialogue into english for transcription. Why translate in the first place, and why into English? If this originally occurred in Bolivia, and the purpose was to make the minutes more accessible, why wasn’t it translated into Spanish? And if we are to assume that the author has relocated the communities for the purpose of this book, what was the point of that? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

mipa_jt's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Suicide

bookynooknook's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Xenophobia

rigbees's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.5

This book follows the discussion of a community as the women decide what to do in the aftermath of a series of assaults. It unwinds slowly as the women focus on three limited options: leave, stay and fight, or do nothing. While characterization is a major goal of this book as the women's personalities push-and-pull their discussions, there is still a decent amount of action and suspense.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Suicide, and Sexism