Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Call Me Cassandra by Marcial Gala

7 reviews

another_dahlia's review

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

axmed's review

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Transphobia

there was no option to add anti-Blackness as content warning, so adding it here.

hollys_library's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and War

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

Minor: Gun violence, Transphobia, and Murder

sercem_w_ksiazkach's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racial slurs, Colonisation, and War

vividvoid's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

I've never read a book so sad that is written this way. It's like, I'm dead inside just like the mc of this book. There's so much thought I have about this book but I can't do it justice. So please just read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Grief

mythology retelling

sgs's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

Beautifully written even in translation. Non-linear and engaging, I wanted so much for Raul that I knew he couldn’t have. 
My only complaint: some moments (repeated) were so disturbing and frequent that I almost felt desensitized “oh this is happening to him again”. That sat wrong with me as a reader. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and War

Minor: Misogyny

vigil's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

on an objective level, this is an amazing book. it is well crafted, accomplishes precisely what it set out to do, along with great prose. if anyone asked me about it, i'd readily recommend it. 

however, i didn't connect with it like i thought i would. i think it's either the nature of the translation, or of raul's point of view. the book is best described as surreal, keeping you in a quiet haze of introspection and reminiscence, undercut by a swift undercurrent of moments of brutality. part of the hazy quality of the book is the way marcial gala seamlessly transitions between past, present, and future in both subtle and piercing ways. the brutality of this stood out, as well as the occasional moments of sharp emotion from raul, but the haze (the majority of the book) did not especially. 

it's hard to put my finger on what exactly would have made the book better for me, but i do think it should've been longer, and perhaps having a different translator / translation style.

this book is filled with triggers, heed all warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail