Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

40 reviews

xread_write_repeatx's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Blood, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Body horror, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Fatphobia, Cursing, Gaslighting, Rape, Child death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Addiction, Torture, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, and Infertility

Moderate: Transphobia, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Alcohol

kirstinlwx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Physical abuse, Racism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Gun violence, Infertility, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Classism, Body shaming, and Cursing

bugaboobear's review against another edition

dark funny 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? No

4.5

I loved the interactions between the women and the way the relationships were portrayed. No one was perfect, they were all flawed and interesting. The story was interesting, but less so than the setting and characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Classism, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Police brutality, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Violence, Addiction, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Cancer, and Religious bigotry

sophsg88's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Infertility and Religious bigotry

barbarella85's review against another edition

dark hopeful

4.25

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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

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

tashtasher's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Death, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Alcohol, Infertility, Murder, and Sexism

Moderate: Classism, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Animal cruelty, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Infertility, and Infidelity

Minor: Cancer, Excrement, Vomit, Miscarriage, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

szraj16's review

dark funny medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a really solid 4.5 for me! I absolutely loved it, it was dark, humorous, and really entertaining. The way the author was able to intertwine humor with really important (and horrible) societal problems and some really dark moments, while never making light of them, was really well done. I’ll also note that the vocabulary used in this book is 10/10 and I’m so thankful for the dictionary function on my kindle. 

The only reason this was not a 5 for me was because I felt like I pieced together the many clues sprinkled in throughout a little more easily than I would’ve liked. It’s not that it was predictable, but maybe it’s just that a little too much was given away if you’re paying attention to the details, in a way that makes a couple moments later on a little less impactful and surprising. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Stories about India will always peak my interest and I’m so happy I read this one. Highly recommend for a murder/thriller book that touches on some really deep topics, and yet somehow stays fun and lighthearted.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Infertility and Alcoholism

Minor: Religious bigotry and Animal cruelty

regardsrachel's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-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

4.25

I am a white person living in the United States reading this book and engaging with the material therefore  I am engaging with the story from my particular perspective and perception.  I knew through religion and social studies classes, readings and so on that caste is a complicated and nuanced system and can be even more specific when it comes to where it's happening and how it's practiced. Also, I think I had a better experience or was able to at least couch this story in a complicated multi-faceted context because I had listened to a podcast episode about Phoolan Devi.  I already knew her story and the aspects that show just how dark patriarchal violence and misogyny can get. I feel that I was coming into the story with a bit of a leg up or in a helpful mindset because I had already had that for knowledge.  I think I gained more from the story with that for knowledge and therefore I could more immerse myself in the journey that Geeta was having in regards to her actions and her emulation of Phoolan Devi but also where she still had concerns or was wrestling with how to be herself but also protect herself in the way Phoolan Devi did. I am not critiquing accuracy in the story, I am explaining my engagement with the book due to the knowledge I had before reading.

 Frankly, I thought the societal norms and rules were done well in the fact that yes there are these rules or yes these are the societal norms in which these characters are living however individuals will have their own relationship with those societal norms and communities will have their own unique relationship within these societal norms. I felt that the story captured that instead of making it a widespread condemnation of society in the book. 

The women felt like different types of women with their own distinctive motives and then also were complicated entities that were not villains but still monstrous.

The conflict made sense and was never in doubt.  I enjoyed the story and the end landed for me.  Which was quite a few considering all the pieces that had to be put together in the end.If anything the story displayed the layers and nuances of the conflicts really well.  rape murder Justice in society are hard topics attack to tackle while keeping the plots/story nimble and moving forward. Also, I felt dread throughout reading it almost like a wait for it or a strain on my chest.  I think I knew something was amiss throughout the book in regards to various aspects of the plot and the way that the stakes were explained in the story also added to the constant tension in the book.

 If there were aspects of the story that seemed illogical or at least their descriptions were surface level I did not care because I was having a good time.  I thought travel and the homes being the key settings make sense.  This is a village that is cut off from urban areas by distance. However the way technology reduces that distance be a TV television and radio was also included in the text which helped bring depth and uniqueness to the setting. I also thought The considerations that the characters had also added to the setting in that this is an area where it seemed public bathrooms were not readily available.   

 The dialogue with other characters brought a comedy to the story.  The dialogue in the book and how big of a difference it is in regards to phrases and conversation styles I felt was on purpose. She wanted this contrast of language and dialogue to be part of the story. I'm not exactly sure of the reason, at least for me what I think it did is it did not bother the characters in a way that I think sometimes these types of stories and when told make it sound like this story and these characters are on another planet instead of on planet Earth. The change in language pulled me in as a reader emotionally that I did not expect. 

I'm a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.  I wasn't sure about the premise as the dark themes can sometimes way down the story and in a way can use the triggering nature of them to hold together the story.  But Bandit Queens didn't do that.  The relationships of the women are the focal point and they're struggles relating to Phoolan Devi.  The relationship or the comparison that's supposed to be made between Gita and Saloni and the others in regards to the story and myth of Phoolan Devi is navigated and discussed throughout the story without a final answer but at least an answer that these characters could continue to live in. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Police brutality, Animal cruelty, Blood, Sexism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Classism, Religious bigotry, and Physical 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.