Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

24 reviews

zombiezami's review

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

I read McBride's memoir about himself and his Jewish mom years ago. It's wonderful to see how, in addition to research, he clearly pulled from aspects of his upbringing in crafting this book. I will say that, although I liked the connection to USAmericans being on stolen land, this would have been a stronger theme if there were any indigenous characters, which there weren't, as far as I remember.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Excrement, Sexual assault, Confinement, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Child death, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Cancer, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Medical content, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Stalking, Grief, Cursing, and Outing

Moderate: Mental illness, Colonisation, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Alcohol, and Misogyny

Minor: War and Slavery

maddamreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Definitely not what I initially expected going into the book. I expected a murder mystery and got an intricate weaving of lives of Black, Jewish, and immigrant communities. The build is slow, and I almost DNFed a lot. The intense world building starts to pay off towards the middle of the book. I learned a lot about Jewish and Black communities, culture, and music of the 1920s and 30s. It is obvious that this was created with immense care. That being said, it was a bit too slow for me and just interesting enough to keep me in. I did not connect with all of the characters, but some of them I loved. Overall middle of the road book for me. Should definitely be an AP high school required reading. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Ableism, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, and Alcohol

Minor: Death

yulecogs's review against another edition

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? No

1.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Chronic illness, Rape, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, and Cultural appropriation

booksandabackpack's review

reflective sad medium-paced

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Pedophilia, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality

Minor: Infertility, Alcohol, and Excrement

mysteryspouse's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Ableism, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Body horror, Sexism, Violence, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Confinement, Rape, Colonisation, Death, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Cursing, Sexual violence, Medical content, Racism, Xenophobia, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Grief, Excrement, Mental illness, Police brutality, Death of parent, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Infertility and Slavery

omarickman's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Racial slurs

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Ableism, Blood, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Excrement, Classism, and Death

Minor: Vomit, Rape, Infertility, Murder, and Pedophilia

kimveach's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.5

This was an excellent book. I just didn't enjoy it. It felt slow and meandering at first. It eventually picked up the pace, and the various storylines came together for a thrilling ending. However, I spent most of the book wishing I had finished it. Once again, I must remember that just because a book is on a best-seller list doesn't mean I'll like it. I can appreciate this novel and even enjoyed parts of it, but I would have preferred this story as a mini-series to watch instead of reading.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Antisemitism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Vomit, Alcohol, Child death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence

booknerd_therapist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

Oh my goodness. If you've ever read a book that ripped your heart out and made you examine it.... this is that kind of book.

Admittedly, it was off to a slow start. I had a tough time getting into it, because the author meticulously goes into every character's back story. But without that, there is no story. So it's necessary, and if you want to experience the full beauty of this book, you need to truly understand the characters.

This book isn't just about being black. It's not just about being Jewish. It's not just about racism and antisemitism and surviving those things. It's not just about the horrific abuse disabled children experienced a century ago. Those things are omnipresent.... but they are a backdrop. They are a backdrop for the real story: Friendship, love, resilience, family, hope. 

If you are hoping for a plot-driven story, this is not it. This is unapologetically character driven. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Racism, Antisemitism, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, Sexual violence, Grief, Confinement, and Sexual assault

Minor: Child death, Excrement, and Cursing

purplepenning's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

In 1972, a construction crew finds a skeleton in the bottom of a well in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. But really, that's the end of the story. The real story takes place in the minority community of Chicken Hill in the 1930s, when Black and Jewish neighbors, estranged friends, quiet community protectors, well-intentioned hustlers, crooked public officials, morally diseased doctors, bankrolling mobsters, predatory monsters, and one deaf child intersect to reveal how an extraordinary community of communities came together to support and protect each other.     

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Chronic illness, Grief, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Mental illness, Excrement, Confinement, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Death of parent, and Infertility

ska1224's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

the author writes a lot about women's breasts and butts for certain. distracted from the story

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Cursing, Excrement, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Ableism

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Hate crime, Child abuse, Alcohol, Slavery, Fatphobia, Infertility, Murder, Body shaming, Death, Deportation, and Medical content