Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

10 reviews

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

How does an author encapsulate a story that perfectly balances the journey of three generations of women unpacking years of trauma, a murder mystery, and a love story? I have no idea, but Jas Hammonds did that and then some. 

In Monuments, Avery and her family move to her mother’s hometown of Bardell, Georgia to take care of her dying grandmother, Mama Letty. While there, the women of the family must reckon with family secrets, race relations, homophobia, and more. 

 

Avery has so much depth as a 17-year-old MC and you can feel the weight that she carries on her shoulders as a queer, biracial girl in a small town trying navigate a new normal and mend her family at the same time. We also get an intimate look at the complex mother/daughter relationships between the women in the family and how deep old scars can affect the next generation. Monuments further does an excellent job of showcasing how the past bigotry in Bardell still affects the town in the present day. 

 

But don’t get it twisted: just because this book deals with heavy topics doesn’t mean that’s all there is to it. Despite the subject matter, Hammonds is able to weave in moments of friendship, healing, and unadulterated queer joy for Avery and her love interest, Simone, which made my heart swell. 

 

I didn‘t know what to expect jumping into this book, but safe to say I was not disappointed. This is a book that people will be talking about for years to come and should be required reading for everyone in school and beyond. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death, Cursing, and Grief

Minor: Drug use, Murder, and Alcoholism

otakatoe3's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Death, Outing, Cancer, Hate crime, Bullying, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Homophobia, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, and Racism

sad_sunflower's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, Lesbophobia, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Death, Outing, Religious bigotry, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Racism, Hate crime, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Body shaming and Car accident

spookily's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cancer, Death, Police brutality, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Murder, and Vomit

Minor: Bullying, Gun violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Car accident, Classism, Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Fatphobia

jenmcreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, and Lesbophobia

powellki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Gun violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Addiction, Sexism, Outing, Misogyny, Grief, Child abuse, Cursing, Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Medical content, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Police brutality

Minor: Sexual assault

shector1's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Cancer

Moderate: Racism, Murder, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Cursing, Biphobia, and Outing

Minor: Blood, Car accident, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

pastelmeganes's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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

From the first few chapters into the book I was already enthralled. I felt a book like this is why I wanted to pick up reading again. I feel a lack of intersectional representation in media to consume that aligns with me and reading made me feel like I was definitely the target demographic. Being someone who’s half black, queer, a capricorn, into astrology and tarot cards who grew up in a suburban area to later move somewhere in the middle of nowhere; i felt like this book checked off so many things I related to that just left me smiling at so many different corners. I spent a lot of time taking care of my grandparents during my later years of adolescence and found it so many aspects of myself within Avery. I appreciated avery was very comfortable in her sexuality too and made her feel so much more grounded for me. Her deep yearning for companionship from not only her new friends but her family as well tugged at my heartstrings. I would say by far my favorite characters in order were: Mama Letty, Simone and then Avery. All of them had so many quirks and aspects of themselves that felt very real to me. I felt like I knew these individuals personally. I would recommend this book for anybody who wants tale of POC wlw soft romance, small town secrets, and how to tread through the murky waters of generational traumas. 

Mama Letty . . . My jaw dropped at the end with her passing when we learned that she killed Jade’s mom!! Jesus CHRIST i was mot expecting that at all!! Holy shit. I feel bad for Jade, especially since Jade’s dad just moved on to his mistress.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Biphobia, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Lesbophobia, Terminal illness, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Outing, and Racism

mezzythedragon's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Grief, Death, Alcohol, Cursing, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Terminal illness

CW // intergenerational trauma, abuse, racism, death, internalized queerphobia, alcohol and drug use This is some hard-hitting, heavy stuff. A clear example of “hurt people hurt people.” Even though both Zora and Mama Letty have gone through/are still going through their personal traumas, they too have done some terrible things to each other, and in Zora’s case, to Avery as well. I will say the ending

regarding Mama Letty and her box

threw me by surprise. 👀