Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

9 reviews

barbarella85's review against another edition

dark hopeful

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, and Animal cruelty

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

---

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

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! 

---

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

dan047's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Rape

courtney_e's review

dark funny 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Classism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

emily_reads09's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring 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

An incredible celebration of womanhood & discussion of systematic and cultural oppression. Hilarious, charming, snarky, and empowering. I often found myself finishing characters sentences ;)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Rape, and Vomit

Minor: Drug abuse and Slavery

uz_kostlivec's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I'm so happy to come across this book and to have read it. I've never read anything quite like it, especially in this cultural setting. I really enjoyed learning more about the Indian and Hindu culture. I loved the plot and appreciated all the topics and themes. Female power, the power of (female) friendship... Beautiful. I can't wait to read up more on the real life Phoolan Devi, especially her autobiography. Please take time to read the author's note.

As a committed dog lover who passionately advocates for #adoptdontshop I adored the whole Bandit subplot. What a wonderful surprise that I didn't expect. 

The reason why I don't give it more stars is that the humour oftentimes didn't work for me actually, I found it even cringey and forces sometimes. Also, while I liked the plot a lot, I didn't like the way several of the important passages in the story developed - they were either too fast, too slow or not as well though through. Also, to me it seemes like the author's writing style wasn't consistently good - there were parts where I was actually even annoyed by it and found it hard to pay attention, but then, at the same time, there were many beautifully witten quotable parts that made up for it for me.

Sita was addmitedly a top-notch lady: levelheaded, bright, kind and loyal. But in idealizing her suffering, people justified Ram's punitiveness. An apology, for fuck's sake, would have gone a long way. But from the get-go, they trained boys not to apologize and women not to expect it of them, to instead mutate pain into an art form.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

imogenrose97's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

• 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Racism, Murder, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Classism, Child abuse, and Bullying

ninahuynh's review against another edition

emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This was such a roller coaster read!! The bond between the female characters and standing up the the male characters and the patriarchy was chef's kiss 👌✨ I think it was a good choice to read this as an audiobook, as the characters and situations just came to life! This would make a great drama series 😻 (The f-bomb is dropped quite a bit.)

Definitely a feminist piece and humorous.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Alcohol, Addiction, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Bullying

Minor: Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Death of parent