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legs_n_chins's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I thought the subject matter was handled very well. The author addresses intersectionality, female oppression, rape culture, and domestic violence and its associated trauma with definite care. Over the past several years I’ve grown extremely critical of media that uses the abuse of women as some sort of plot device to push the narrative along, but then just sort of forgotten a little later when it stopped being useful to the plot. I never felt like that was happening in this book. Any instance of abuse that was discussed or depicted did not just get set aside or ignored completely once the next action was set in motion. It lingered and it was present throughout the rest of the story and it mattered to the character development. It lended a lot of the necessary seriousness to these situations despite the humor that the author included throughout the book. And it was difficult to read in some places, yet not exploitative or voyeuristic.
I was very impressed with how the author wrote from the main character’s point of view, too. Geeta wasn’t the most pleasant protagonist, yet I was rooting for her the whole time. Even in moments when she was really unlikable, the sort of exasperation and irritation I felt didn’t last long. She had very obvious flaws, but I liked seeing which ones she worked out and which just sort of were part of her personality that she had to work around rather than just grow past. It was also very cool how Geeta was unreliable in certain aspects concerning her perception of self and her relationships, but the author made it clear she was reliable regarding the actual plot related events occurring throughout the story. It’s just really good characterization in my opinion.
And on a somewhat more background note, I really appreciated learning more about Indian culture through this book. Some of the Hindi beliefs and the depiction of the caste structure and general portrayal of day to day life in a village like this one, it was all woven in organically without feeling like an infodump that took me out of the narrative. I’m not always great with the classroom sort of learning, all strict informational teaching, but this not only educated me in a lot of things I didn’t know, it did it in a way that I’m more likely to actually remember some of it because it’s been presented in a more real world context. I just find that quite cool.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Classism
thetearex's review
- 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
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Mental illness, Rape, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Infertility, Islamophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Violence
erinngus's review
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Rape, Misogyny, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Infertility, Classism, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting
queerandtalkative's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Violence, Murder, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Rape, Death, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, and Police brutality
Minor: Death of parent, Torture, and Infertility
jammons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Classism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Blood, Rape, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
queeniecraft's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexism, Child death, Sexual harassment, Murder, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Violence, Toxic friendship, Racism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Gun violence, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Racism, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Drug use, Cursing, Suicide, Islamophobia, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, Classism, and Toxic relationship
meimayy's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
reinspired_reader's review
- 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
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
aluminij's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Violence, and Gaslighting
s_lorenz's review
- 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
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