Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

6 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

zombiezami's review against another edition

5.0

This book left me almost about to cry. I realize from reading this and The Color Purple years ago: I'm a sucker for books about women and girls coming together to heal themselves from the pain of patriarchy. They build a form of spirituality that centers and affirms them. They learn to value themselves, their wants, and their perspectives. And then the healing they are able to do simply radiates outward, and it causes a reaction in everyone around them to witness that healing taking place. Some don't understand what's happening and they hate it. They mock or terrorize them for daring to live differently, to think that they can excuse themselves from the patriarchal structure they accept unconsciously. Others realize by their example that they don't have to accept patriarchy either, and they can find their own ways to be whole. 

I also especially loved the author's approach to grief, especially the importance of feeling it fully and creating rituals and remembrance about it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Grief, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Racism, Hate crime, Suicide, and Confinement

Moderate: Misogyny, Child death, Slavery, and Sexism

Minor: War and Animal death

michaelion's review

emotional funny 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

Teenage me would've loved this.

I think the movie warped my  little baby brain, so then I ended up liking stuff like The Help and Hairspray, which I absolutely was obsessed with. But the focus on women, bees, connections to mothers and ancestry and selfs... Like ancestry lives within you and also you are your own mother... That white lady kinda popped off writing this. She kinda had a point to make. She kinda dotted her i's and crossed her t's. She kinda had her cake and ate it too. She kinda gobbled ate right the fuck up left no crumbs. She kinda did her thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Death, Racism, Grief, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Child abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Abandonment, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Torture, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Police brutality, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, and Child death

Minor: Vomit, Misogyny, and War

orchidlilly's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

2.0

So... This was not nearly as great of a classic as I was led to expect. First of all, it succumbs to the common pitfall of all books of whatever genre this is; it's so unbearably pessimistic. Most of the book is pg torture porn wherein we watch the protagonist suffer while also getting blasted with the fact that she isn't suffering nearly as much as other people. The commentary on racism is cliche and not very well addressed. Every single black woman is the mammy stereotype, I didn't know it was even possible to have every character be the same stereotype. They all have practically no depth and no arcs of their own besides 'we exist to further the character arc of Lily'. The take on racism at the time is extremely one-sided and, pardon the wording, entirely black and white. And my biggest issue; I get that it's a coming of age novel, but the romance is, quite frankly, gross. Lily is 14, middle school age, and Zach is, from my recollection, gearing up to head into college, already weird. Then you have to factor in that completely out of the blue segment in the book where the love interest sucks honey off the main character's fingers. This scene is described in detail, about how it makes her slightly hot and bothered, and how she's also semi disgusted with herself because loving a black man is wrong. This scene is so entirely jarring and completely unnecessary that it pretty well ruined the entire book for me. The romance isn't even a main part of the book, but it's just so uncomfortable that I couldn't focus on anything else.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Misogyny

Minor: Sexual content, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Blood, and Bullying

savannah_c_dipasquale'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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Violence, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Religious bigotry, Bullying, and Classism

isabellarob73's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-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

1.5

I feel that this story is very well written and I see how it is beloved by so many. At the same time I never need to read a story that focuses on black women written by a white woman. This book makes all black women mammy caricatures to the protagonist. It also seems to rely on learning that black people are as beautiful and cultured as white people as a way to stop racism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, and Suicide