Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

20 reviews

axel_p's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Abortion, Alcoholism, Addiction, Death of parent, Alcohol, Body shaming, Dementia, and Adult/minor relationship

felishacb's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Dementia, Alcohol, Miscarriage, and Abortion

ksuazo94's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexism, and Racism

Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Abandonment and Addiction

alexisgarcia's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

i didn’t think i could ever give a story collection 5 stars. this collection had absolutely no misses, a few were better than others, but none were even close to bad. i loved loved this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Cursing, Dementia, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Bullying, Classism, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Sexual assault

anitra2319's review

emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.25

I read this book as a buddy read with a long distance friend of mine. I was expecting it to be a lighter read but I was completely wrong. Philyaw weaves marvelous and complex tales of what happens behind the closed doors of church ladies. Some of these stories were lighthearted and funny, but there were also a good amount that made me have to put the book down for awhile. 

I can’t wait to see what my friend thinks!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Racial slurs, Alcohol, and Racism

clairew97's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Child death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

glitterdeww's review

emotional reflective sad tense 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

Excellent collection by Deesha Philyaw that drenches each story in raw emotion. These women are fully "in the world." 

(I'm also really in my feelings about craving a peach cobbler. 😅)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Homophobia

readingwithtrey's review

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? N/A

5.0

I’m going to start this review by saying this book will not be for everyone and that’s okay. If you’re not an open-minded reader, you may find yourself offended by some of the things in this book. 

Now to my review, in my humble opinion, this book is a work 👏🏽 of 👏🏽art👏🏽. While I didn’t have any personal shared experiences with each woman, I could appreciate the nods to the culture that I could completely relate to. They include: being in church every Sunday with our moms & grannies and often times aunts, uncles, and cousins. (I was related to almost everyone in the small, country church I attended growing up.) Our grannies always telling us that they’re praying for us (and knowing for certain they actually were) and usually having a feast ready for us whenever we visited. Spending summers outside all day almost every day with our cousins without a care in the world. Getting a new beautiful frilly dress from my grandma each Easter. This book made me nostalgic for that time and made that ache that I still have to see both of my grandmas one more time feel as new as the days that they left us.

There is so much to this book than what’s on the surface level. & I highly recommend it for readers with open hearts and minds. Know that there are a lot of touchy/sensitive subjects. It was funny, incredibly sad, and totally different from anything I’ve read. 

My only complaint is that I need updates on all of these women, especially Jael. Her chapter had me weak.

Favorite quotes:

“We miss their bare brown arms reaching to hang clothes on the line with wooden pins. We miss their Sun tea brewed all day in big jars on the picnic table in the backyard.”

“We miss how they made our Easter dresses and pound cakes and a way out of no way.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Dementia

Minor: Drug use, Fatphobia, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

bootsmom3's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexism, and Dementia

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Cancer, Body shaming, Homophobia, and Fatphobia

Minor: Terminal illness and Abortion

davidbythebay's review

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective 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? N/A

5.0

Greg (Supposedly Fun on BookTube & Instagram) was absolutely right: this is an amazing short story collection! I shy away from short story collections because I never feel they are or of similar caliber to each other usually. Here, however, Philyaw has created an entire universe of Black women who are strong, unapologetically powerful, and asserting how they wish to live their lives. From queer/lesbian or heterosexual perspectives, these nine short stories cover a wide ground of topic areas and perspectives. And I'm living for it all! Absolutely amazing! 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content