Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Don't Cry for Me: A Novel by Daniel Black

21 reviews

ethan_bridgesgarcia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

“Live your life freely, Isaac. Rise above our history and be your unapologetic self.”

What a roller coaster of emotions! This book has all the feels. I don’t know how many time I had to put this book down because of the sole fact that I related so much with the son and how he was treated by his father. The amount of hardships and struggles Jacob went through not just as a man but as a Black man struggling in a world that was already made hard for him by history but to have a gay son as well.

Many of the words Jacob said to Isaac my own father/mother has said to me. I don’t know if it’s a Southern thing but the fact that many of the gay men, or supposed gay men, in this story were called “funny,” only cemented how ignorant some people can be. Upon my own liberation from the closet, my mother asked me if I was funny… and it was the single most hardest silence I’ve ever felt. But for her to dismiss my answer only hurt more. My own father didn’t speak to me for 2 weeks. But now, nearly 10 years later, I’m married, my family has an amazing relationship with me and my husband. But still I would recommend this to any parent struggling with their kid’s sexuality.

This book Daniel Black has brought forth to the world had me in a whirlwind of tears and laughter and anger. In the particular scene of a friend suffering from AIDS comes to visit Isaac but Jacob stops to inform him that his son had moved away. I ugly cried for 20 minutes. The fact that Jacob was disgusted by how the young man looked, with sores and emaciated look to him. Jacob’s only thought was that his son would never sink that low to get the “gay disease.”

This book is possibly my favorite book I’ve read all year and I will recommend it to anyone. Just make sure you have tissues. In fact, make it a crying towel. There’s a lot of tears to be shed.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Racism, Abortion, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Bullying, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

buttermellow's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Sexual violence and Homophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Cancer, Death of parent, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Bullying

Minor: Infidelity and Medical content

danileah07's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Child abuse, Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Suicide

Minor: Animal cruelty and Abortion

ehernandez's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Racism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Sexism, and Sexual violence

hanreadin's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Cancer, and Abortion

fifi_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“If you get nothing else from this letter, understand that I never knew how to love. I dreamed of it, but I never experienced it. What I knew was pain. So that’s what I gave you. I’d never seen a black life free from it, so my job as a father, I assumed, was to prepare your back for the load. I hope that, after you read this, you’ll return my pain to me.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Racism

Minor: Abortion

edensbookshelf's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Child abuse, Rape, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, Abortion, Ableism, Sexism, and Death of parent

ekmook's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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, Death, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Cancer, Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Slavery

Moderate: Abortion and Animal death

yzadalawatatlo's review

emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Child abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Racism, Misogyny, Hate crime, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Sexism

Moderate: Abortion

sj_54's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

5.0

This book was in equal parts one of the easiest things to read, and the most difficult.

The writing style flows beautifully, and the pages just fly by. I am a big fan of this kind of approach, written as letters addressed to someone, which focuses the story on the relationships of the characters without getting stuck in extraneous details.

On the other hand, the subject matter absolutely necessitated frequent breaks to absorb and reflect, and I think the author did a marvelous job breaking up the letters so the reader has that chance between chapters. 

This is not a book you rush through and then promptly move on from. It sticks with you and commands attention.
It's a beautiful exploration of growth, regret, parenthood, and the things that separate us, or bring us together. 

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for access to the eBook ARC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Physical abuse

Moderate: Terminal illness, Racism, Homophobia, and Sexism

Minor: Abortion