Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti

10 reviews

fujo_cat's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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

3.5

Overall, this was a nice read and felt satisfying enough, albeit cut short. 

If you enjoy domestic mysteries and Hollywood settings, you’ll probably enjoy this. Expect a light mystery with heavy themes. 

If you are looking for a non-white author or non-white cast/protagonist, this is also a very good choice! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Classism

Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Sexual content, Stalking, Pregnancy, Cursing, and Grief

Minor: Death, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Miscarriage, and Infidelity

samanthamoore's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Minor: Drug abuse and Pregnancy

viireads's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

first half was an absolute 
D R A G ughhhhh

(I had to physically force myself to get to the part about the the will)

but as soon as the lore with Nova started being dug up it got fast paced and I was enjoying it

I guess I just kept on going to see how it ended (which ultimately i didn't end up liking much mainly because of one certain element

the child

)

⭐⭐⭐
3.0 stars for the following reasons: 
• feeling represented and also seeing the diverse cast
• second half of the book was very gripping and definitely a page turner
• realistic portrayal of modern day friendships
• the ending gave me a lil hope for myself because other than the aforementioned element everything else in it was tied up nicely 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Xenophobia, and Stalking

Minor: Emotional abuse

thebigq's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring relaxing 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

4.5

Incredible twists and turns. Characters felt real in their love for each other. Advika easy to cheer for the whole way through. Deft representation of love bombing and its toxicity. Truly a delight to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny

Moderate: Racism and Pregnancy

mackenziem12's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Drug use

daffodilcherry's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense 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

4.0

I was absolutely hooked by this book, and read it in two days! This tale is almost a modern Bluebeard retelling, where Advika falls for rich, charming, powerful Julian and is told not to look into his past wives. I liked the clever way the red flags about Julian were woven into the start of the story, and how Advika is presented as a flawed, but understandable protagonist. I loved Advika's friends and the supporting cast! I'd love to see this novel optioned for a movie or limited series! 
Wheelhouses: Hollywood glamour, toxic relationship, Bluebeard retelling, woman uncovering the truth, friends caring for each other, people in their mid 20s still trying to find themselves.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Suicide, Racism, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Miscarriage, Drug abuse, and Pregnancy

christinesreads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Death

babayagaofficial's review against another edition

reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

Killer premise, clunky prose. The narrative voice doesn't trust the reader's ability to make connections or inferences, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. This needed one or two more editorial passes to cut overly explanatory narration and raise the stakes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Stalking, Abandonment, Racism, Classism, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Addiction, Violence, and Pregnancy

Spoilers:

I was surprised by the mildness of Julian's villainy and the film reel's revelation. Yes, it's all horrible; that said, since 2017 we've learned of such outsized monstrosity from Hollywood bigshots in reality that Julian's actual M.O. and motivation are almost quaint in comparison. They certainly don't live up to such a wonderfully sensational, splashy premise. And narratively, if a premise evokes Bluebeard? Then the husband's big secret has to be bigger than "it turns out he sucks." There should probably be a murder somewhere, at least. (If this were a different book, I might say it's implied that he murdered his second wife, but this book leaves just about nothing unsaid, so I doubt that we're meant to understand that.)

gretchenplz's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense 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? It's complicated

2.5

I'm not really sure what to say about this book because I'm not entirely sure what I just read. This book was 100% not what I expected, and I'm not sure if that disappoints me or not.

I think that this book covered a lot of topics, like sisterhood (both biological and chosen), power dynamics within relationships, and grief, and I'm just not sure how well it was all woven together. I expected drama, and emotional highs and lows, but this book just did not give me that at all. 

I'm not sure if it was purposeful for the author to create a book that left the reader feeling very much like how Advika felt throughout her relationship with Julian — overwhelmed, confused, nervous — but I never knew what to expect from this book. 

Julian never came across as charming to me (was he supposed to? or does this link with my above thought, that perhaps the reader was supposed to feel like Advika and not really be very attached, confused that this was all happening so fast, expectant that Julian had good intentions, etc.?) and it really just gave me pause the whole time I read the book. 

I wish the author could have done more showing vs. telling, as I caught myself skimming the many pages of paragraphs of internal dialogue or pop culture detail for dialogue. There was just so much to digest and I am still not sure what exactly I was supposed to get from this book.

The power of grief? Following your dreams? Leaning on your friends? Chosen family? Sisterhood?

I don't know. I don't think it was a bad book. Just not a favorite of mine.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Pregnancy

bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious fast-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: Emotional abuse, Grief, Death, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Classism, and Racism

Moderate: Drug use and Pregnancy