Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

33 reviews

nataliebootlah's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

The story of Molly Bolt, a lesbian in postwar America, is just as relevant today as it was when it originally published in the 1970s. While we’ve seen more progress and acceptance in recent years, the LGBTQ+ community still faces many issues Molly does.

The main focus is Molly’s exploration of her own sexuality and the community surrounding her—the good, bad, and ugly parts of it. Molly is shamelessly unapologetic about who she is, what she feels, and what she desires, giving us a brazen and bold coming of age story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Child abuse

Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Misogyny

kaitlinlovesbooks's review

emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Grief, Violence, Incest, Terminal illness, and Sexual harassment

erinwolf1997's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Homophobia, Death of parent, Cursing, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Rape, Classism, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infidelity, Antisemitism, and Cancer

oklaheauxma's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

good shit! Must read for any queer person. Love love love!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Religious bigotry

thaliareads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad slow-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

4.0

Overall I enjoyed the pace of this book, and I enjoyed watching Molly learn and grow as she moved further into her life. I especially loved how unapologetically herself she was. Her boldness in a time where she could have been severely punished for it was really cool. However, this probably isn't a book I would automatically feel compelled to re-read without a specific reason. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Homophobia

Moderate: Death, Bullying, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol

It would take forever to list all the reasons for the warnings I tagged, but it basically boils down to being an unavoidable fact of following a gay woman in a time when being both made you targeted and viewed as less than others. However, to clarify, the author never comes off as sexist or homophobic, it's just a part of the MCs experience. The only thing I'll add is that there is a lot of stereotyping at certain points in the book and I'm not sure if that was meant as a comment on the way society viewed these groups during that time period or if it was the author themselves. To me this didn't seem like it was ever in a way that was harmful, just improper.

tinstae's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Child abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs, Death of parent, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Incest, and Adult/minor relationship

hollifr's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-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

3.5

I felt like the story had a slow start but once it picked up I got really into it. It's a great LGBTQ+ coming of age book with relatable characters and relevance to life now in the LBGTQ+ community. Will be recommending this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Racism, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Abortion

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Incest

oddreads_nicolestins's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad 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

5.0

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would!

No spoilers here, but it's more than just a coming-of-age story. I loved so many of the characters, but I hurt with them too. I laughed with them and I almost cried.

Highly recommend for all those who are curious and for all my southern allies/country-folk allies, LGBTQIA+, or otherwise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Antisemitism, Biphobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Outing, and Racial slurs

Minor: Classism, Vomit, and Cancer

hubes's review

fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent

Minor: Racism and Antisemitism

citrine's review against another edition

This book is...fine. I guess. I read it and discussed it for class, and there were some parts that I felt were funny and compelling, but I found it overall just droll and off-kilter. Style is always a matter of taste, bur I really didnt mesh with the narrative style of the book as a whole. My professor (Lesbian Literatures at W&M) said something along the lines of this book being "confused" and I think that hits on it well. RMB is frustratingly inconsistent - decrying societal norms in one breath ( there is are constant references to a "do what you want" kind of attitude), and undermining that ethos in the next. I think there is a decent honesty in the book, and a narrator to whose emotions we have less access than common. Im not an expert in the demographics of NYC queer street life in the period, but the absence of even a passing mention of trans people felt odd to me - the protagonist of the story lives on the streets of the city at one point (an experience RMB had herself) and it strikes me as odd that she wouldnt have encountered any trans swers or anything strikes me as odd. Almost an erasure - but I will need to do more research to say for sure. Lastly, the main character commits what can only be described as sexual assault twice in this book. While the sexual politics and dynamics of conset (especially queer consent, with the often repressed desires of individuals intermingling with contradictory ways of showing interes) have changed a lot, it just feels weird! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Outing, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Death of parent