Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

111 reviews

kittencardigan's review

adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.25

Fun page turner with a lot of heart, humor, and revenge.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Alcoholism, and Animal cruelty

hollowhallow13's review against another edition

challenging dark funny fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual assault, and Racism

Moderate: Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Police brutality

notanniewarren's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

I was wondering what makes a five star read for me. I've read some good books this year but not given our any 5-stars yet, even though I've read some things I can't really fault and massively enjoyed. I was thinking, what really is a 5-star book for me, then? Maybe I'll never rate a book 5/5. I've also been reading a lot of audiobooks and I was wondering if that's having an impact on how much I enjoy books, that maybe I'll never LOVE a fiction audiobook.

THEN THIS BOOK CAME ALONG.

TEN OUT OF TEN FIVE STARS NO NOTES. SOMEONE MAKE THIS GORGEOUS, HILARIOUS, HEARTBREAKING, BEAUTIFUL BOOK INTO A FILM RIGHT NOW!!!!!

This just blew me away. It's GENUINELY funny, not the kind of smile-to-yourself amusing that I usually mean when I call a book funny. It's so warm and tender, especially on female friendship, whilst also touching on some really big, difficult, dark issues like racism, caste, domestic abuse and rape. I felt like I learned a lot about India (or at least, a certain part of India) and had a rollicking good time while I was at it. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Racism, Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty

laedyred's review against another edition

dark funny inspiring 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

Hilarious to the point of it feeling almost like a sitcom in some scenes, completely in a good way. The truly horrible things the men in this book do is hard to read sometimes, but the book does a good job at making the realities known while still being an enjoyable, entertaining read. My criticism is that the messages of feminism, equality, female friendship, etc are most often explicitly stated, and they began to cheapen from the blatant repetition. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Classism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

reinspired_reader's review

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Islamophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Classism, Suicide, Death, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Murder

abbasaurusrex'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

4.0

The best way to characterize this book is as a dark comedy: full of sitcom-like scenarios and dialogue but dealing with dark themes like domestic violence, misogyny, SA, alcoholism, and murder. I enjoyed the ride and loved each of the women in the book. They were distinctive, complex, and FUNNY. The story runs on  witty banter, hijinks and capers, and tales of women reclaiming their power. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Classism, Sexual assault, Murder, and Misogyny

Moderate: Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, Infertility, Ableism, and Abandonment

sarathroughpages's review

adventurous dark funny inspiring 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: Fatphobia, Rape, Death, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty

helfire124's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Addiction, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Death, Sexual violence, Vomit, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Vomit, Excrement, Islamophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Animal death, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity

tetcha's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative 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

3.0

The pacing of Bandit Queens was a little slow in just a few parts for me, but overall I found myself full on laughing out loud throughout at this surprisingly dark comedy of errors that simultaneously tackles very serious topics like domestic oppression of women, abuse, alcoholism and casteism.

If you enjoy reading about complex, flawed characters, unexpected friendships and female empowerment, with a little murder, mayhem, and revenge thrown in then this might be the book for you!

*Please review the trigger warnings before you decide to dive in though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Classism, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual assault and Alcoholism

gogglor's review

dark funny lighthearted 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Classism, Religious bigotry, Infertility, and Alcohol

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

The men in this text are almost all extremely shitty, but they all get what’s coming to them Also, there’s no tag for casteism, but that’s all over this book too.