Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

25 reviews

mariekeroos's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Colonisation, and Racism

Moderate: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

tina94's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Death of parent, Death, Rape, Gun violence, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Murder, Colonisation, and Miscarriage

Minor: Slavery and Torture

nfoutty's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Police brutality, Colonisation, Grief, Murder, Child death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, War, and Violence

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Infertility, Sexual content, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Incest, Torture, Trafficking, Death of parent, Classism, Kidnapping, and Homophobia

Minor: Alcohol and Abandonment

emzireads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Violence, Colonisation, and Death

dominicangirl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Police brutality, Child death, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and Torture

Moderate: Colonisation and Confinement

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Colonisation, Medical content, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Sexual assault, Genocide, Medical trauma, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Terminal illness

bandysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

4.5

This was one of those books that is incredibly sad and also based in reality, but so well written that you can’t put it down. The fictional village of Kosawa was very compelling and at points I wanted to step through the pages of the story to help them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Chronic illness, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, and Genocide

seawarrior's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

How Beautiful We Were is a tragedy, but one that demands the reader not to feel sympathy, but to reflect on our role in the poisoning and exploitation of villages like Kosawa. Mbue pits hope and reality against each other repeatedly throughout the novel, gifting Kosawa with tiny victories the characters and reader both must learn are more akin to sedatives and insults than progress. I felt the writing throughout most of the book was illustrative and sharply observant, though there were times where it lacked detail and lagged as the novel progressed. Mbue defied my expectations with the book's ending, initially making me feel disappointed and almost angry. Yet after reflecting further, her unflinching depiction of the humanity, homelands and culture that colonialism and capitalism has stripped from our world of is more striking through use of an unsettling finale in the modern day. I would recommend this story to others, but please be warned that it pulls no punches with its descriptions of environmental degradation and the horrors that unfold in its wake. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Colonisation, Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Classism, Confinement, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Rape, and Sexual content

courtneyfalling's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was so good and I am in such awe that a living, breathing person has enough insight and talent to write this novel. It is absolutely breathtaking, all of the characters are so multidimensional and well-crafted, and it is so perceptive and sharp on globalized exploitation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

Minor: Miscarriage, Infertility, and Misogyny

plumquin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Racism, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, and Genocide

Minor: Stalking, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Infertility, Infidelity, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Homophobia