Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

114 reviews

megmccreery's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I loved Eva, Shane and their relationship in the past and the present. They were such robust and interesting characters that I felt like I really was getting to know real people. The story itself is so emotional, and you just really root for them both throughout the whole book. This also has its funny moments, like I audibly laughed several times which made it even more enjoyable. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Self harm, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Racism

neverlandpages4's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Gun violence, Chronic illness, Suicide, Drug use, Drug abuse, Murder, Racism, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Grief, Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Mental illness

Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Death

gwenswoons's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-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

Loved this beyond, beyond. Every word miraculous and just what it needs to be. Such gorgeously drawn characters, from the smallest side folks to the incredible MCs, each with powerful and deeply human challenges, layers, and growth. I adored the audio and can’t wait to have my hands on a physical copy - I will read it again. I loved it more than I have loved anything in a long time and it will stay with me forever.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Racism, Self harm, Bullying, Grief, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Death of parent

jhabelita's review against another edition

medium-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

2.0

I liked the first half of it. I really thought this was a sad story, like Eva knew she had a brain tumor because of those frequent migraines, but she kept it only as a secret. Then she will met Shane again, they fell in love, got together but only for a limited time because she's sick yada yada yada. I REALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS THE PLOT! 😅

But it was only a blinded love of two problematic characters amplified by drugs, alcohol and a week-long sex. 🥴 Trauma bonding, whuuttt??

Miley Cyrus once said,

"They say misery loves company"

I didn't give a fck on the epilogue. I honestly skimmed through the 25% of it just to make a point on the plot that I expected.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Drug use

Moderate: Racism, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Minor: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

mecmccann's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective tense 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

4.5

Thank you Tia Williams for writing the first book club book I adored. 

Seven Days in June is a story about Black love. It was poignant, humorous, and hot all at the same time. In this book, we follow Eva, an erotica writer, who is summoned to speak as a panelist at a book event where she unexpectedly runs into her high school fling? boyfriend? situationship? Shane, from fifteen years ago. As she rediscovers what actually happened between them all those years ago, recognizes that they've actually been writing about and to one another for all these years through their books, learns about the man he has become, and about her family's historical curse, she learns about who she is and how everything fits together. 

This book did exactly what it needed to do. Each character was fully fleshed out and individualized. In Eva and Shane's partnership, they became the best versions of themselves for and through each other, without sacrificing their core values. Seven Days in June was indeed a romance, but it was so much bigger than just-another-fluffy-romcom (and I love me a fluffy romcom). In this book we explored the effects of chronic pain, substance abuse, domestic abuse and negligence, trauma, and racism on relationships. 

Rumaan Alam got it right when he said, "The result isn't escapism (though the book is a delight) but a vision of life as it truly is: complications and difficulties punctuated by profound joy." 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Child abuse, Grief, Medical content, Domestic abuse, and Rape

rickireadss's review against another edition

3.0

i went into this one with such high hopes, and i honestly think that was what ruined it for me. i loved the chronic migraines rep. i somewhat tolerated the fact that both mcs were writers - i feel like this is hit or miss with me, but usually a miss. i did not check the CW before reading, and that was definitely my bad, but most of the reviews i had seen on tiktok or insta hadn't mentioned it being a "heavy" book -- this one most defintitely was, and it was much heavier than i could have anticipated. i ended up soft-DNFing this like 50% in and left in untouched for almost a month, but i pushed through hoping it would magically get better (spoiler alert: it did not) this was just not my favorite, and one of my disappointments of the year.

⚠️: self harm, drug abuse, alcoholism, drug use, addiction, chronic illness, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, suicidal attempt, abandonment, gun violence, death, grief, injury/injury detail, child abuse, child death, violence, sexual assault, toxic relationship, blood, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, racism, medical content, car accident, medical trauma, death of parent, domestic abuse, physical abuse, bullying, panic attacks/disorders, murder, forced institutionalization, pedophilia, vomit, ableism, sexism, adult/minor relationship

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Self harm, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual harassment, Blood, Mental illness, and Death

Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Racism, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

jdamae11's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

Loved this book, it’s one I would love to experience reading for the first time again 😭 a complicated and heartfelt romance that was emotionally raw and that handled intense, difficult life experiences—substance use and recovery, invisible disabilities, racism, poverty, toxic relationships—with so much care. This book was also balanced with such good humor and LOL moments for me personally, and I appreciated the Black pop culture references, both the obscure and the obvious. There was a subplot that I really wish would’ve been given more time & room to breathe, and I felt like the way it impacted a central character was a bit rushed. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this & will likely be rereading next year + looking to get into Tia Williams other writing - 10/10 would recommend 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Self harm, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault

Minor: Gun violence

kwanbokado's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-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

4.0

sad face emoji but dancing cuz the emotional whiplash is SENDING me

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Death

chris_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Abandonment, Chronic illness, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Child death, Drug abuse, and Racism

Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, and Gun violence

savvylit's review against another edition

emotional fast-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

2.5

What I liked: this book is well-written and well-paced. Eva and Audre's mother-daughter relationship is both heartwarming and fun. I truly enjoyed all of Audre's scenes in this book. Also, adult Shane and Eva's romance is steamy and sweet at the same time.

What I didn't like: the teenage romance between Eva and Shane was incredibly toxic. They were instantly codependent, despite having just met. And they were on a drug-induced bender for most of their Seven Days! That was enough to bond them for life? Also, (spoiler alert!) the way that the author portrayed self-harm was disturbing. Self-harm is basically glamorized in some of this book's flashback scenes. Ultimately, that just added more to my disbelief and discomfort with the toxic origins of this entire romance.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Violence, Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Alcohol