Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

79 reviews

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

s_lorenz's review

dark emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

Graphic: Gun violence, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Infertility, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

radtj's review

funny inspiring tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Murder, Suicide, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Classism, and Fatphobia

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

mraddd's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Classism, Domestic abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Misogyny, Outing, Rape, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gun violence, Islamophobia, Fatphobia, and Pedophilia

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.

gabeagenda's review

adventurous dark funny hopeful fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Infertility, Gaslighting, Murder, Rape, Pedophilia, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Body shaming

mayareadsitall's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

I really like the book cover! It was actually the first thing that caught my attention even before I read the synopsis. Nevertheless, the initial excitement waned as I found the first third of the book to be somewhat slow. It was decent and intriguing, but it just didn't fully engage me. It wasn't until close to the second half that I felt the pace pick up significantly, and the stakes started to feel more tangible.

The characters were written distinctly from each other, even when they were all inflected by the patriarchal norms and practices. While some secondary characters were three-dimensional, others felt like they were solely written to serve the plot or make commentary on a particular issue. I did find Geeta, the main character, somewhat annoying. Although the author provided a good backstory to explain her behavior, her character development felt inconsistent. Was she fearless or easily intimidated? Was she strong or just spiteful? Perhaps this was an intentional move to add depth to her character, but at times, it felt like a narrative trick to advance the plot. I found the other side characters more likable and sometimes wished we could spend more time with them.

On another note, I appreciated how the book successfully integrated humor into its narrative despite addressing heavy themes. The witty dialogue and ridiculous antics stood out as the highlights for me. I particularly liked the focus on female "bonobo" friendship and empowerment, as well as the parallels to the real-world bandit queen, Phoolan Devi (side note: I need to read her autobiography!), which added a unique layer to the story. 

Overall, I'd rate it 3.5⭐️, rounded up to 4⭐️ for Bandit the dog ❤ and

the very satisfying open-ended ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Fatphobia

aimeeactually's review

challenging dark emotional funny tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Rape, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Domestic abuse, Outing, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Cursing, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Infertility, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Racial slurs, Classism, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment