Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

20 reviews

letterpress's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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

Solid 4.5 stars.

Jesmyn Ward writes so descriptively. I could almost feel the swamp of Mississippi as I was reading this book. I could feel the resentment Leonie had towards her children, parents, and the grief of losing her brother. It made it easier to understand maybe why she was such a neglectful mother.

I enjoyed how she used the ghosts to showcase how our past can sometimes hold us back or make us stronger. As we read with Jojo and his sister Kayla.

She even explored the slave to prisoner pipeline at Parchman prison. A terrible penitentiary that is still being used to this day.

I am definitely going to keep her on my radar for future reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Death, Cancer, Violence, Racism, Vomit, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Addiction, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Pregnancy

abbyluvsfrogs444's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow. What a book. I am in awe of how amazing this is. All of these characters are so real to me, so vivid and complicated. I felt so many emotions while reading this and even though it was mostly anger or sadness, it is worth it to read. It is brilliantly written. The words flow like poetry but are still accessible and understandable. Overall, this book is fantastic and I highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Murder, Death, Drug use, Death of parent, Blood, Child death, Gore, Grief, Racism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Gun violence, and Violence

Minor: Racial slurs

mel_j's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Sing, Unburied' Sing' was a marvellous reading experience. In some way, I could feel for and understand all the characters and their motives. The magical realism was well-done and felt not too over-the-top; it fit very well into the story.

There was a slight historical feel to 'Sing, Unburied, Sing' that is connected to the magical realism. I loved the historical references and facts; sad, but important, they added a lot to the book

It's a heartbreaking book that made me stop and think quite a few times; very moving.
The ending felt quite rushed and incomplete, which is why I don't give the book 5 stars – I feel there could've been done more, but I enjoyed the reading experience a lot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Addiction, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, and Drug use

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Vomit, Hate crime, Blood, Cancer, and Grief

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

alexisgarcia's review

dark emotional sad slow-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

2.75

something about this doesn’t quite feel complete. maybe it just wasn’t for me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Drug use, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Grief

florecita_lectora's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Police brutality, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Child death

Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Murder, Terminal illness, and Cancer

cathrynveronica's review

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Racism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

christynhoover's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Murder, Death, Hate crime, Child death, Vomit, Addiction, and Grief

Intergenerational trauma

gabyk_lib's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

I found this a slow read but full of insight and heartbreak.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness

abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Vomit, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Drug use

Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

rexpostfacto's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Hate crime, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Racism, Pregnancy, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, and Addiction

Incarceration and servitude related to jail time