Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

46 reviews

runefactories's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying and Animal cruelty

schnaucl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

This was a well told story about a woman whose husband left her but the village thinks she murdered him. Consequently she's been socially isolated.  But then women trapped in their own abusive marriages come to her for advice on getting rid of their husbands.  

The characters were compelling and the setting vivid.   

Shroff does a good job of showing how abusers work, systematically isolating people from their support network. 

And how easy it is to fall back into old patterns without realizing it.  She also does a good job showing how things can be self reinforcing.   Geeta is socially isolated by the villagers at first but reinforces it herself in later years.  Patterns of all kinds are hard to break.

I could have done without the focus on a Solani's weight at the beginning and throughout though.

She also does a good job showing that when people want to play savior, the consequences of trying to change the system often fall on the very people they're trying to save.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Murder, Misogyny, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infertility, Rape, and Religious bigotry

lucylou's review

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual assault, Bullying, Violence, and Physical abuse

Minor: Suicide

sedgewren's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book — it was an absolute romp! It had a rambunctious cast of characters, a tight and brilliant plot, a light-hearted and genuinely funny tone that balanced a critique of patriarchy, sexism, the caste system, lookism, religion, aid in India, the idea of a sisterhood, and empowerment. It's the kind of book that I wish I could write.

(very mild spoilers ahead)

The characters were ingenious, compelling and vibrant; I loved reading it from Geeta's perspective despite (although this truly added to her believability) her frustrating moments and unreliable narrator-ness (but don't we all rewrite the past to turn ourselves into the main protagonist of our own narrative?)

tl;dr: READ THIS BOOK (read the content warnings first, to make sure it's right for you of course!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Body shaming, Bullying, Addiction, Death, Alcohol, Animal death, Misogyny, and Rape

Minor: Child abuse

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense 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

4.25

This book is a great dark comedy. If anything, I wanted even more chapters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Infidelity

There is evidence of all of these triggers but essentially all of it gets avenged or is discussed regarding how unfair it is. No characters performing these triggers fully gets away with anything. That said, our core group of characters also do plenty of awful things. It’s a dark comedy with murders. Brace yourself.

yuyuv's review

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infertility, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer

prinzessin_aj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Grief, Police brutality, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Cursing, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Death, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Rape, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Fatphobia

alexisgarcia's review

adventurous dark funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

this book was just downright fun. despite the heavy topics (check content warnings!!!), this book is full of interesting characters and humor. i very rarely find a book that is just a really good time so this was such a good find! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Physical abuse, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, and Violence

keiwald's review

funny inspiring reflective 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

4.75

Wonderful build. The final scene was absolutely beautifully built so all the pieces fell together and everyone was there to take part

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Infertility, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Classism, Alcoholism, Death, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Murder, Physical abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, Torture, and Excrement

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, and Cancer

Topics include caste and sex related discrimination in India.

saurahsaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.75

Goodness, I love this book. At times grueling to read when it showcased female trauma in all its myriad forms, but always worth the journey. Beautifully told, fucking hilarious, and impossible to put down. I fucking love this book and know I’m going to revisit it over the years for its universal truths.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Murder, Addiction, Abandonment, Bullying, Classism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Rape, Ableism, Infertility, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Body shaming

Minor: Excrement, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Drug use