Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

17 reviews

sophisticotton's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

I really can’t rate this book yet. What I can say is that it makes me think, I love the changing perspectives, and I think it belongs in a modern afro futurism course. Would love to see it taught in comparison with Chain Gang All Stars or Parable of the Sower. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Death of parent, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racism, Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Suicide attempt

jenna_justi2004's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Colonisation, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Slavery, Toxic relationship, War, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Gore, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Torture, Confinement, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

salemander's review

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Suicide attempt, Police brutality, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Slavery, Hate crime, Racism, Child death, and Gun violence

hanz's review

dark emotional slow-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Confinement, Racism, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Grief

roorooreads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-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

4.0

This was a challenging book for me. It was a great story blending fictional/fantasy characters with a contemporary setting. But I struggled to keep up with it sometimes. There were a lot of tome jumps, forward and backward  and I struggled to keep track of where we were and who we were with and why certain things had come to pass. However I also see the importance of this book and was fascinated by Ella's character and wish we had spent more time with her and the development of her powers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Police brutality, Gun violence, Medical content, Body horror, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

cutlet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

This was my first audiobook and it was incredibly powerful to listen to the author read their story. This feels like it should be mandatory reading for all white people, to better understand Black history in the US and the intergenerational trauma it carries with it. The main characters absolutely pulled me in, but it was at times difficult to keep track of when and where something was happening.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Colonisation, Murder, Slavery, Cancer, Classism, and Racial slurs

decie's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

4.5

pick this up when you want raw, heavy, rage-filled poetry. if you're primed for a fantasy plot you'll be disappointed. that's not what the author is doing here. it's better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Grief, Classism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Racism, Police brutality, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Drug use and Confinement

Minor: Animal death

albernikolauras's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

This book follows a brother born during the LA Riots and a sister who can see the future. Riot Baby had the build up of a riot - a slow, even start that becomes angrier and more frustrated at a world that won't provide them the rights they deserve. The writing didn't hold your hand as you are moved through the main character's lives in big time jumps, some time fluidity, and short vignettes.

I really enjoyed this series. It reminded me so much of the Los Angeles I grew up with - especially at the beginning. I loved how Tochi Onyebuchi portrayed his themes relentlessly and without mercy. His writing is skillful. There's no way of capturing all of this book in a single read, but it stands by itself on a single read with no issues. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Medical trauma

ejimenez's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Confinement, Racial slurs, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Excrement, Murder, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Medical content, and Racism

katiebowers's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

I want this novella to be a full length novel so that it can further explore details of the story that weren’t essential, but that made me curious - what exactly is Ella’s power? Why does she have it and why is she (seemingly) the only one? I’d like to see just *more* development of her and Kev’s characters. I’d like the novel to be long enough to really see them grow up - though I guess there’s a point to be made there about who gets time to just be a kid in America, and who has to grow up fast. 

And also, none of my questions are the point. This story is a loudly banging exploration of (white) America’s ongoing historic war on Black people, decade after decade, in continuous new (but also old) ways. It’s about a future that is more of the same, or maybe a future where it all gets torn down for something actually free. It’s about the things that Black individuals and communities do to keep moving towards that day. Getting caught up on the lack of explanation around Ella’s powers feels distinctly Not The Point. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Slavery, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, Racism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Miscarriage