Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

26 reviews

shesun's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

It is a beautiful story about faith, growth and found family. Absolutely beautifully written.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, and Child abuse

Minor: Blood and Misogyny

mlykins's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Suicide, Grief, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Death

hathaway99's review

hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

I finally finished “The Secret Life of Bees.” It was a little wordy and I found myself skipping paragraphs a lot in the last half of the book. It did touch on civil rights and how things were in the south in 1964, but only a little bit. 

It’s also confusing switching between Mary Worship, which I didn’t understand but think it’s to show that woman are strong and don’t need a man and the bees.
I was a little disappointed in the ending, too. I’m not sure why because it was an okay ending.
There is some (moderate) bad language in the book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, and Suicide

saltnvinnies's review

emotional reflective relaxing 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Bullying

sauvageloup's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

a really beautiful read with a lot of poignancy.
pacing felt a little slow in a couple of places but that was part of the charm.
loved the mix of depicting the time periods racism, lily dealing with the loss of her mother, the goings on with August, may and June, and the beautiful descriptions of them and the surroundings and the bees.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Child abuse, Blood, Violence, Vomit, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Racism, Emotional abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment

schorlett's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence

Moderate: Grief, Suicide, Death, and Mental illness

Minor: Blood, Bullying, and Pregnancy

laurajenkins's review

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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? Yes

3.75

Lots of idolatry, which made parts of it difficult to read. Spiritual abuse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Hate crime, Death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

houseofatreides's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-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

4.0

The Secret Life of Bees goes over the harsh life of Lily Owens with her father T.Ray, who is a abusive and manipulative father who has never cared for her.

Lilys mother died when she was 4. Due to Lily accidentally shooting her mother with gun during a fight her parents had after they dropped the gun. Lily, one of her cherished possessions is a Black Madonna picture w Tirbuorn, S.C written on it. On her birthday(July 4) she and her Nanny Rosalee. Go into Town so Rosaleen can register to vote. After the running into 3 racists and the cops siding with them, Lily frees Rosaleen and they head to Tiburon. There they meet August,June, and May three sisters who live in a bright pink house and are bee farmers. The story follows the sisters trials during that hot summer of 1964 and as Lily herself comes out of her shell and finds the healing she needs.

the book overall is a story of hope and perseverance and of finding your inner self and where you belong and how to love forward amid tragedy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Death, and Emotional abuse

itsy719's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Gun violence, Slavery, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Vomit

carnivalchimera's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

My favorite book I've ever read

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Suicide, Gun violence, Grief, Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, and Physical abuse