Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Bellies by Nicola Dinan

36 reviews

hanhantap's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Transphobia, and Death

Minor: Terminal illness and Mental illness

libraryoflanelle's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

I adored this book with all my heart. It easily became a new favourite. 

I finished 'Bellies' in almost one sitting, and it absolutely consumed me. I fell in love with these characters in record time and felt all of their emotions right along with them. Nicola writes these characters in such a way that you immediately feel like you yourself are part of their little chaotic but loving found family. I truly cried, laughed out loud, and kicked my lil’ feet through this book.

I went into this one knowing almost nothing, and I would highly recommend you do the same if it is safe for you to do so. I have included content warnings in my StoryGraph review as always, so just make sure you’re safe. If you’ve been debating picking this one up, consider this your push.

I borrowed this one from the library - shout out to local libraries - so will definitely be buying a copy asap, as I know this will be one that I come back to in future!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Death

Minor: Alcohol, Dementia, and Vomit

kirstym25's review against another edition

emotional sad 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Minor: Car accident and Infidelity

alexgo's review against another edition

challenging

• 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

Moderate: Transphobia, Death, and Grief

Minor: Eating disorder, Alcohol, Infidelity, Drug use, Dysphoria, and Pandemic/Epidemic

b_fruits's review

3.75

Ehhhhhhhh 😭 I wanted to love this so much, and I did for most of it, but the big Plot Twist™️ simply did not work for me. It felt unnecessary and I didn’t find that it deepened any of the characters or moved the plot along in a smooth way. I was disappointed by how much I grew to dislike the characters in a way that felt unintentional. Some heavy themes were touched on so briefly that they felt inappropriate (

primarily Cass and Ming’s ED issues

. Still, the writing was beautiful and evocative and comfortingly relatable at many times. I would love to read more from the author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Transphobia

Moderate: Death of parent and Eating disorder

taralouise52's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

Minor: Transphobia

drrooly's review

reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Transphobia

gc_epub's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

I found myself unable to tear away from this book. I was entranced by how tender, raw and realistic this coming-of-age queer journey was. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Transphobia

hannah_mariee's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Mental illness, Sexual content, Outing, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Transphobia

savvylit's review against another edition

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

4.5

Bellies is a tender - yet messy - literary love story. Love consistently endures in this novel, despite a myriad of challenges. And it's not only romantic love that endures in this story. Bellies has some of the sweetest and most genuine moments of platonic love that I have ever experienced in literature. I loved Ming and Tom's friends for their devotion and ease with one another. In many ways, Bellies is also an ode to chosen family.

As I read, Dinan's writing reminded me quite a bit of Sally Rooney's work. Like in Rooney's novels, the relationships in Bellies are complex, the characters are vulnerable, and they're all discovering who they are and who they want to be. If you're a Rooney fan, you really cannot miss Bellies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Transphobia, Grief, and Dysphoria