Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

39 reviews

meg0207's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Trafficking

jemimawilliamson's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infertility, Slavery, and Excrement

Minor: Alcoholism, Grief, Terminal illness, Miscarriage, and Pedophilia

matchai's review

challenging 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Infertility, Pregnancy, Sexism, Pedophilia, Rape, Classism, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

anniefwrites's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

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

I'm not sure if this one was for me. I think I prefer books that are a bit more subtextual rather than quite so direct like this one. While there were significant obstacles in Adunni's life, I felt that the outcomes could veer into the predictable. It was still super interesting to read a story set in a country that I don't normally read about, especially as Adunni was learning the "Nigeria facts" along the way with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Excrement, Infertility, and Sexism

Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, and Pregnancy

hgallagher's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Trafficking, Death, Death of parent, Slavery, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Grief, and Alcoholism

jasmijn's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

Oh Adunni, what a beautiful, painful story about a courageous young girl who just wants to get an education, become a teacher, and have a "louding voice". 

 Beautifully and masterfully translated to Dutch by Aarjan and Thijs van Nimwegen, which really deserves a mention: the main character speaks her own version of English, then translated to Dutch, which the translators managed to convey without becoming too stigmatising or annoying to read. Highly recommended. 

Adunni is admirable for her optimism and determination and carries through every event with courage, but a lot of bad things happen to her and those around her. Check the trigger warnings if you think you may not be up for this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Death, Grief, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Death of parent and Trafficking

Minor: Alcoholism, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Infidelity

amberinbookland's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Infertility, Infidelity, Grief, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Death

crykea's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

beautifully written! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Excrement, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Terminal illness, Vomit, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture

Adunni is forced to marry an old man (Morufu) at the age of 14. He regularly rapes her in an attempt to get her pregnant and has done this twice before with two other women. Adunni also undergoes a second near-assault with Big Daddy near the end of the novel.

The eating disorder is not an intentional one but rather the continuous mentioning that Adunni is starved by Big Madam. Big Daddy and Adunni's papa are alcoholics Adunni is bullied verbally, emotionally, and physically by Labake and Big Madam. She is bead reguarly and the beatings are described in detail. Big Madam is beaten physically by her husband regularly. There is classism directed at Adunni and the other workers from the rich women in the social club. They mock her English and accent. Adunni's mother dies of a terminal illness offscreen and grieves her throughout. Tia's mother also has a terminal illness that nearly kills her. Adunni's description of Big Madam could be considered fatphobic. There are mentions of excrement (and vomit) in Iya's home when

Iya shoves Adunni in the room to escape her father

and by the end of the novel when Tia asks if the beatings have stopped. There are mentions of pregnancy throughout the book. Adunni is expected to get pregnant with Morufu's baby. She takes a pill to negate pregnancy. Pregnancy is mentioned amongst her friends when she sees them and with her husband's other wives. Khadija is pregnant in the novel and

ends up dying due to complications with birth

. Tia is constantly teased about not having children

and decides she'd like to have children later in the novel after meeting Adunni

. SHe is tortured by some religious leaders under the guise of having a bath to help along the pregnancy. trafficking/slaver:

Adunni is trafficked by Mr. Kola, Iya's brother, when she is trying to run from Morufu. The majority of the novel takes place in this location she has been trafficked to where she works as a servant or 'chainless slave' as Adunni calls it.

penofpossibilities's review

emotional hopeful sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, and Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Miscarriage, and Cursing

Minor: Infertility, Police brutality, Vomit, Abortion, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

samarakroeger's review

challenging emotional hopeful 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

3.75

I listened to the Adjoa Andoh audiobook version, which I’d give a higher rating on its own (~4.5/5), simply because Andoh did a fantastic job bringing Adunni to life. 

However, the story itself is one giant Africa Cliche™️ that is inspiring and compelling, sure, but made the plot and hardships she went through pretty predictable. Would anyone write a book about a 14 year old Nigerian girl who is forced to marry an old man instead of going to school and dreams of a better life and end the book as dire as it started? Didn’t think so, and the feel-good nature of it got a bit old to me.  (Can you tell that I hate inspirational books?)

I’d seen this book in bookstores but hadn’t gotten it because the whole thing is written in dialect (and a very broken version of the dialect at that, meant to reflect her semi-literate ness).  I find dialect of any kind hard for me to read in print because I don’t hear words spoken in my head when I read.  However, fear not! I found that the audio version was pretty clear to understand, especially given Andoh’s masterful use of tone and inflection. Some of Adunni’s word mixups were pretty funny, in an Amelia Bedelia sort of way. 

I would love to read more from Abi Daré, as this was still a pretty solid debut despite all the cliches. I think she did a great job with the voice/tone/thought process of Adunni, the 14 year old narrator. It was believable in a way that many teen protagonists written by adults are not (looking at you, John Green). You can’t help but root for her. 

plot: 2.5/5
main character: 4/5
narration: 4.5/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Trafficking