Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Habibi by Craig Thompson

2 reviews

imartine's review

challenging medium-paced

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

The fact that the author is a white man and the two main characters are people of color makes me feel like there is some type of misrepresentation going on. The illustration and image composition is beautiful, but there is a heavy amount of sexual content that feels more like it’s forced on the characters than a part of their lives. The author is a white man, who I believe did his research, but no amount of research can make his lived experience equivalent and justify his use of these characters. My personal belief is that white folks should not use the n-word in any way ever, and this author did write it out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Body horror, Addiction, Physical abuse, War, Fatphobia, Gore, Chronic illness, Sexism, Alcohol, Animal death, Trafficking, Child death, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Cultural appropriation, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Violence, and Vomit

taylor29harty's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Whew! While I do not agree with banning books and censorship, I can UNDERSTAND why this book was challenged / banned in schools. I, as an adult, was not prepared for the graphic images of (TW) rape, castration, child neglect, and more. I also didn't totally "get it". Was it just about sexual awakening and exploration? Is anyone else grossed out that Dodola was Zam's mother, then sister, then...lover? The ambiguous timeline really threw me off. While I can see that it was purposefully done in this way I do wish that it had been a little more clear WHY it was done this way. Is it a critique on industrialization and technological advancement? Like I said, I just don't get it. I need to do a little bit more research on the meanings I may have missed and why the author (from small town Wisconsin) chose to tell a story of two young former slaves in this Arabic society. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit