Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

44 reviews

ghoul_girl's review

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• 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

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

amressing's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit, Misogyny, and Blood

diana_blackmoon's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Racism

stubbornlybookish's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Racism, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Homophobia, and Infertility

chloeschapters's review

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

Has Roxane Gay single-handedly changed my mind on short story collections??? Because d a m n.

Dark, heart-wrenching, and with no lack of trigger warnings, Difficult Women is tough to get to but worthwhile. As always, some stories will resonate more than others, but DAMN IT can Roxane Gay WRITE. I think I maybe need to re-evaluate my approach to reading/engaging with short story collections (maybe they don't all need to come together in the end??? idk).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Misogyny, and Miscarriage

willowbrii's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

4.5 | Hard-hitting short story collection. Roxane Gay is a brilliant writer. I went through a roller coaster of emotions while reading this, but I always came back for more. Hard to tell if I enjoyed it as it was very difficult to get through. Nonetheless, I just let the stories take me for ride.

Stories that stuck out to me:
- La Negra Blanca
- Baby Arm
- North Country
- Requiem for a Glass Heart
- Bone Density
- I Am a Knife
- We Are All So Happy Now
- Glass

Heavy content warnings for this collection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

therealnani's review

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

I won’t lie. Some of these stories were hard to read, but they are craft in action.  Highly recommend you take your time with this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

booksandcoffeerequired's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Violence

robustreader's review

3.75

Her writing is crisp and clear and nuanced. But man these are some depressing stories. I can't figure out why someone would want/need to read and or write these, except she really does humanize each character, making them feel real. There are so many tragic lives around us, this book does open our eyes, and hopefully our hearts as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

keatynbergsten's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This book had many stories that were incredible and truly showed the resilience that is so often needed to be a woman in the world today, however there were a few stories that I felt just didn't totally work for me and I wanted more from so 3.5-4 stars for me.  Trigger warnings abound in this book so it is not for everyone but definitely a remarkable and well put together collection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, and Toxic relationship