Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

9 reviews

laguerrelewis's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

This was a moving novel about what we inherit, good and bad, from our ancestors—particularly mothers to daughters. Using a procedure based in real world science but amped up just a bit, we get to explore the hopes, dreams, and cycles of trauma along an ancestral line, and the way this story ends is a truly beautiful response to our ever-growing awareness of generational trauma. This book would be perfect for a book club, as it invites deep introspection and personal engagement.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Child death, Grief, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Racism, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Self harm, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, War, Bullying, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, War, Vomit, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, Physical abuse, and Lesbophobia

emmakchapman's review

adventurous dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Racism, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Rape

permanme's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, War, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Racism, and Sexism

kaitlynhermansen's review

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

4.5

This story tells the story of 7 different Chinese women and the generational trauma they experience. I loved each character and their story and Ford did a fantastic job of portraying each. The ending did a great job of tying everything together and this book exceeded my expectations. Such a good, unique read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, and War

chrisljm's review against another edition

challenging sad slow-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

3.0

This was written well but I’m not sure how I feel about taking a real life person and writing a fictional story about her, especially when her story (real and fictional) is filled with so much trauma. I was only able to find one other review from a Chinese person, so I really wish there were more Chinese people who have read/reviewed this. 

Also, just in case there is anyone else out there who will have a similar experience to me, THEY ARE NOT SPEAKING CANTONESE IN THIS BOOK, IT’S TOISANESE 😭 I was losing my mind because I know Cantonese but was unfamiliar with Toisanese, but I’ve since learned it’s because they’re used interchangeably and prior to the 1960s Toisanese was the dominant language spoken in Chinatowns.

Another thing, this part of the blurb was the reason why I decided to read this book, “A stranger is searching for her in each time period. A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories,” but it was so misleading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Medical content

Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Grief, Forced institutionalization, War, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Abandonment, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Racial slurs, Self harm, and Colonisation

mikaelaandherbooks's review

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, and Domestic abuse

Minor: War, Violence, and Xenophobia

haleysversion's review

challenging dark emotional 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Death of parent, War, Toxic relationship, Rape, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, Suicide, Sexism, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Death, and Child death

utopiastateofmind's review

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

The Many Daughters of Afong May examines inherited trauma. These pieces of our lives we pass on to our descendants. And the fragmented memories and experiences which are passed on to us. How the history of racism evolves in our lives. At the beginning, there was a bit of confusion to figure out the daughters of Afong May and their lives. While there are timelines and a key at the beginning, it's natural with set ups like this that it takes time for each character to establish themselves.

For me, it took a bit longer than normal, but I think it's also due to the fact that with multiple POVs there are often certain ones that resonate with you more. Some end up being ones that aren't your favorite and then others sometimes resonate more with you for some reason. Pretty early on I realized I had two or three favorite POVs and a few of them are not focused upon as much. Overall, The Many Daughters of Afong May examines the dignities - both quiet and loud - that we give up, that are stripped from us.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Homophobia, Rape, and Domestic abuse