Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

54 reviews

luckyonesoph's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-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

0.5

I realize that this book is a masterful portrayal of how violent the criminal justice system was towards Black men in America, but Baldwin's blatant misogyny completely ruined it for me. I have zero patience for a book that sympathizes with a rapist, or for an author that so deeply and so obviously sees women as subhuman. The part where Tish's mom travels to Puerto Rico to harass a woman who was a victim of both rape *and* the United States' immigration policy into returning to the US to recant her testimony is unfathomably cruel, and just one of many scenes where violence against women  and rape are treated not as hate crimes or injustices, but as acceptable facts of life. Baldwin is a brilliant writer, but there is no redeeming this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Mental illness and Police brutality

Minor: Suicide

slintangel's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Classism

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Addiction

ah102's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Wonderfully written, the themes of this novel are hauntingly real. This is an emotional and heavy read but well worth it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

theuncannydani's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Baldwin wrote this is such a poetic way, but I was still able to follow it. That was great.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

sofipitch's review

emotional reflective 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? No

5.0

Every book by Baldwin absolutely knocks it out of the park and this one is no exception. But I think compared to some of his other books which are bleaker, while this book deals with heavy topics and unfair circumstances, there is such a strong love between Tish and Fonny as well as their families that shows how much love and support from others can do in the face of oppression. Comparing this love to heartless people is seen over and over again, from the difference between Tish and Fonny's family at the pregnancy announcement and even just Victoria versus Jaime's choice to help or not help Sharon in Puerto Rico. This book is just phenomenal 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Sexual content, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape and Suicide

valentino18's review

medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Pregnancy

marjolainegenot's review

funny hopeful sad fast-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

5.0

Beautiful prose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition

emotional reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.75

An incredible book! He weaves back and forth through time as he tells this story. It is so beautifully written and has so much excellent social commentary. 

I will say, definitely take the SA content warning seriously. If you want specifics, it is a bit spoiler-ey:

The thing that stood out to me was the fact that the survivor was confronted and not in a delicate way. There was no victim-blaming or saying that she was lying about it happening, however she is confronted becuase she chose the wrong person in the line-up (assumably) after being manipulated. While they do take some care in how she is confronted, it still is not great. While I do think there is a reason the author chose to have the story play out like that, it seemed like something that could be potentially quite triggering.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual assault and Police brutality

Minor: Miscarriage

shaziareads's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Minor: Racial slurs, Rape, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

kingcrookback's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Rape, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage