Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

69 reviews

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

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

andrea_lachance's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.25

A stunning debut that balances humor, patriarchy, caste systems, and the importance of female friendships.

I came into this book mostly blind. I’d picked it up about a year ago at my local library and was mildly intrigued, but never got around to reading it. This is my second go at having the book, and first go at reading it.

This book is best read with a basic understanding of the premise and an open mind.

Shroff’s debut is impressive. ‘Bandit Queens’ balances its dark humor amazingly well, I actually chuckled at a couple of incredibly dark jokes! Shroff’s book is also a love letter to female relationships, and female friendships. She writes such dynamic and flawed characters and I loved/hated them all.

Geeta is my girl! She’s sharp, funny, and such a powerhouse. She’s  not perfect and that’s why I love her. She’s fucking funny as fuck idc what anyone says, put her on a stage with a mic.

I will say, I wasn’t prepared for how grapic the book would get with S.A. AND DV, so readers should be weary of that. The climax also left a bit to be desisted, the book rapped up pretty quickly. But honestly? I was really just vibing, reading about what Geeta and the girls were getting up to.

I keep reading books with alcoholics and SA. Coincidence? Idk. I’m trying not to read too much into it.

Female friendships for the win, and friends that slay together stick together!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Classism, and Gun violence

Moderate: Addiction and Animal cruelty

schaubh's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Alcohol, Addiction, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Abandonment, and Gaslighting

aishma_raghu's review

dark funny inspiring tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Murder, Classism, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Misogyny

Minor: Animal cruelty

caitlandia__'s review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Racism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Gun violence, Murder, Hate crime, Cursing, Pedophilia, Grief, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Sexism

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

patchworkninja's review

challenging funny inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Infertility, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Body shaming, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Classism

emherrick's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Murder, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Classism, Gun violence, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Blood

paperbacksandvinyl's review

challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Man, oh man, I have a lot of complex feelings about this book, and I think I felt every single emotion while I read it. It is a lovely show of sistership and a heartbreaking glimpse into womanhood. The differences and similarities of these women are discussed throughout the book, and they’re important conversations and characters.

The Bandit Queens follows a group of women as they navigate life under the patriarchy of their small village. Geeta is our main character and the story opens with her choosing a life of isolation after her abusive husband has left her. As the story evolves, we see these tumultuous but beautiful between these women become their lifeline.

I would highly suggest checking trigger warnings before reading this book. Violence and assault are vividly described on page, and there is a significant amount of fatphobia scattered throughout the entire book. That said, I think it was very well written and and extremely captivating story. More than that, it’s a story that should be heard, and I appreciate the care the author took in researching the inspiration of the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Addiction, Body shaming, Classism, and Death

Moderate: Pedophilia