Reviews tagging 'Racism'

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

134 reviews

racheldoesthings's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective relaxing 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? Yes

4.5

MAMA LETTY KILLED AMELIA?!?!?

I was back and forth if if I liked this book until the very end which did not see that coming at all.  I think a big reason I was back and forth on if I liked it was that it was pitched to me as a mystery and yes there were a few deaths where the circumstances surrounding them were unknown, but that does not a mystery make. I’m not a big mystery reader or reading books that are grounded in real life (especially mentioning Covid) so that also could been part of why it was hard for me to get into it for me to start. In the end I’ll say I loved getting to see all the relationships grow and change for I’d say the better. The titled chapters like the mermaids and the ending really sold this book for me 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Cancer, and Death

tlaynejones's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Grief, Racism, Homophobia, Classism, Terminal illness, and Death

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, and Child abuse

Minor: Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Alcoholism

dhatislandbookworm's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Racism

Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Murder

robinks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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? No

4.5

I really enjoyed the cast of characters, and the relationships/conversations between them felt real. As a queer person who is estranged from bio family, the way some of the family issues were worked through rubbed me the wrong way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Outing, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Death, Racism, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Terminal illness, and Grief

Moderate: Biphobia, Child abuse, Abandonment, Cancer, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Cursing, Vomit, Infidelity, and Violence

Minor: Bullying, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Pandemic/Epidemic

ewickoda's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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: Murder, Death, Hate crime, and Racism

piprigsby's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

I'm definitely stuck between a 4.5 and a 5. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Violence, Racism, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Police brutality, and Hate crime

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

smilagros's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

If y’all haven’t picked this book up. Go do it. Like right now. It was so incredible. I listened to it on audio and the audio narrator was incredible. She get different voices to each character. This book had it all, discussions about mixed couples, LGBTQ+ topics, grief, anger, generational trauma. I feel that this book had so much but it did not feel overwhelming at the same time. I think everyone can resonate with atleast something in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Racism, Grief, and Emotional abuse

danileah07's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Death

Moderate: Hate crime

Minor: Outing

jkreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5⭐️

This book was a tender and heartbreaking exploration of intergenerational trauma, race and sexuality. There was so much pain in this book, which was compounded by the fact that the characters were running out of time to lay it all to rest before Mama Letty passed away.

This was shaping up to be a five star read to me right up until the reveal of who killed Jade’s mother. I just felt like the reasoning behind it didn’t make sense given that it was apparently well known around town that her father was having an affair and therefore the only person who would really be hurt by her death was Jade, an innocent little girl. Idk, maybe the fact it didn’t make sense was the whole point but it just felt like the author was tying up a thread that could have been left loose.

I would really recommend this as a great coming-of-age story, the writing is beautiful and I look forward to checking out Jas Hammonds’ next novel ‘Thirsty’ once it releases!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Murder, Kidnapping, and Hate crime

Moderate: Homophobia, Classism, Cancer, Lesbophobia, and Death

Minor: Car accident

kthconvos's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, and Hate crime