Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

10 reviews

grandpas_farts's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

This short story collect kept getting so much buzz. The buzzing finally became loud enough I took a bite. Happy I did! This book may be titled Secret Lives of Church Ladies, but scripture doesn't really play into the stories. This is not a "preachy" book and more of a cup of tea.

In each short story we explore the lives of various women, throughout various decades, places, life stages, and situations of life. Anyone who has grown up in/around church culture will know some of the people in a few of these stories. This collection shines a light on what happens when the gossipers hang their laundry out to dry. He who is without sin and all of that!

My favorite short story was "Instructions for Married Christian Husbands" because it connected to "Peach Cobbler". Here we have a daughter (did we ever get her name), that never wanted to turn into her mother. As we see from the article or Facebook post, whatever it is she made, she has ultimately turned into... her mother.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Infidelity, and Dementia

Minor: Cancer, Lesbophobia, Child death, Abortion, and Death of parent

clarabooksit's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pedophilia, Abandonment, Sexual content, Grief, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Racism

Minor: Abortion, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Bullying, and Murder

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

cleches's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Although all of the stories didn’t completely resonate with me, the idea that Black women raised in the church (or raised by women who were in the church) have to suppress so much of who they are/want to be did. Many of the stories centered around sex. Sex is often used asa weapon against women in the church. It’s not talked about, except for unwed girls being responsible for not doing it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

sarahmae531's review

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Really loved Peach Cobbler and Snowfall, those would get five stars from me. Also enjoyed Dear Sister. The others were hit or miss for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Minor: Homophobia, Abortion, and Pedophilia

ab_and_flow's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Misogyny

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Pedophilia

Colorism and grooming

readingtomydogs's review

emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Pedophilia

kirkspockreads's review

emotional funny reflective 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: Pedophilia, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Dementia, and Death

mrsbennettreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Infidelity, Dementia, Death of parent, Death, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Religious bigotry

caseythereader's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

📚 Can a review just be entirely the 🤯 emoji? Asking for a friend.
📚 So many voices with so many conflicting feelings and dreams and obligations and small freedoms. There's not a dud in the group.
📚 This book prodded at all the ways the Christian church in America can push someone down, trying to force them into molds they don't fit. Some stories were all about that, and in some the church was just a shadow in the background, which I loved.
📚 Each story was in some way about boundaries - how much church to let in, who you have relationships with, when you allow someone in to see the messiness. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Dementia, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content