Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

51 reviews

casserole_cg's review

challenging emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Rape

aliciamalcomb's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

It was recommended to me as cultural books that would or could be banned. I'm doing my best to read the stories written by human beings about our lives and lived experiences because when you have an experience that guides your beliefs are rarely going to falter when someone wants to argue that their beliefs are wrong because they differ. I would be incredibly ignorant to believe that my experience would be the same if I were in that situation because it would because what I look like is different. I am thankful for the opportunity to see through the eyes of someone who has experienced life differently than myself because I can learn empathy in a deeper way. We are all different but humanity should make us all the same.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual harassment

zuzux's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality and Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Death of parent

stag's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Violence, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

marena02's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I don’t know how to feel about the ending, but I liked this book. I enjoyed reading about Fonny and Tish’s love story, despite its sad and open ending.

For this to be my first James Baldwin book, I think the thing that stood out most to me was his writing from Tish’s perspective. She is seen by everyone around her as naive and overly optimistic, but it’s clear that while she goes through these new and traumatizing experiences of pregnancy and helping her man who is wrongfully incarcerated get out of jail, she is willing to change her mindset with every obstacle that gets in her way. Baldwin shows this in the way she he narrates her perception on the world and how she learns to navigate it alone with Fonny who has always been by her side. Her journey throughout the book was the most interesting to read about.

Like I said, I don’t really understand what he was trying to do with the ending, but everything else I enjoyed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

clairecummins's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia and Religious bigotry

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

charlieeew's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, and Antisemitism

lp961's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Drug use, Police brutality, and Colonisation

bridgedeebookish95's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

It's only a 4.75 because of the ending, but overall, it's a 5. Beautifully immersive. This novel's dialogue and first-person narration is unlike anything Baldwin has ever written. The voice is so distinctive, and the language is really specific. As always, his worldview is so central to all of his fiction, and I just love it! This story is really heartbreaking, but also so tender and sweet. I had such a great time growing and feeling with all of these characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcoholism

florecita_lectora's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Miscarriage