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wollstonecrafty's review against another edition
commemorating banned books week 2022
savaging's review against another edition
5.0
I think this is a brilliant book. And a brave book. Not just because it talks about hard and personal things, but also because it talks about everything else, too. Another review on here complains that Allison didn't deliver on the 'white trash' promise, because she reveals that poor whites in the South also sometimes have love for each other, and their culture has some beauty and power. That reviewer wants this book to be more of a blood-curdling expose and less of a full, personal story. But this is exactly why I loved Bastard Out of Carolina.
I had a few quibbles with the writing. Like: too many of the chapters end with a repeated phrase. White supremacy is just an absent center of the writing, never fully dealt with.
I had a few quibbles with the writing. Like: too many of the chapters end with a repeated phrase. White supremacy is just an absent center of the writing, never fully dealt with.
catbrigand's review against another edition
5.0
This book reached down my throat and pulled out my heart. I grew up in the south, although not remotely in the situation that Bone did, in any sense of the word. So much of this book's descriptions--hot summer nights with old country on the radio, shelling beans and making cornbread--felt as comforting and familiar as an old blanket. But make no mistake. This book is also horrifying, with a heavy CW for child sexual and physical abuse, rape, and violence. It is also a triumph of a girl saving herself when nobody else will.
kelceyxreads's review against another edition
5.0
This book means the world to me. It's one that struck a chord with me when I first read it, and something new strikes me every time I read it again. I see a lot of reviews talking about how grim it is, how hard to read, how violent - and it is. But there's truth to this story that is undeniable, and as heartbreaking as it is, it rings true for me and others who grew up poor in the South, who were abused or have loved ones who were, who had feelings that mirror Bone's, whose relationships with family are complicated and were made even more so by the experiences they've gone through together.
I don't want to say more than that or go into spoiler territory because this is a story that should unfold exactly as it was written. An easy 5 star.
I don't want to say more than that or go into spoiler territory because this is a story that should unfold exactly as it was written. An easy 5 star.
sian_m's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me feel so sad. It’s filled with trauma that no one should have to go through. It is very well written, but I struggled to enjoy it as much as I wanted to, purely because of the abuse that Ruth was being subjected to and the total denial of Ruth’ mother, refusing to acknowledge that something just wasn’t right, even though it’d been noticed and communicated by others. The selfishness of these adults is sickening. This made me incredibly mad and uncomfortable.
Ruth shows signs of disconnection from herself due to her traumas, clearly done for survival purposes. Respect to Ruth for her determination, strength and tenacity to get through it all.
This is a raw, honest book. It doesn’t hold back from potentially making the readers uncomfortable. If that’s the emotional response that’s stirred, so be it, there’s no hiding from the truth. This book moved me to tears and as painful as this was, I am so glad that I’ve read it.
Quote from the end of the book which I had to pause and reflect upon: ‘Shame comes with denial, fear fattens on lies.’
Ruth shows signs of disconnection from herself due to her traumas, clearly done for survival purposes. Respect to Ruth for her determination, strength and tenacity to get through it all.
This is a raw, honest book. It doesn’t hold back from potentially making the readers uncomfortable. If that’s the emotional response that’s stirred, so be it, there’s no hiding from the truth. This book moved me to tears and as painful as this was, I am so glad that I’ve read it.
Quote from the end of the book which I had to pause and reflect upon: ‘Shame comes with denial, fear fattens on lies.’
natgabor's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Incest, and Domestic abuse
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fine work of literary fiction centering on a young girl's coming-of-age in the 1950s rural South, and fighting the label of “trash” attached to her.
Ruth Anne (“Bone”) is born to her extremely beautiful 15-year-old mother shortly after an auto accident. In the confusion at the hospital her grandmother and aunt can’t agree on her name and as a result her birth certificate bears the label “Illegitimate.” Her grandmother insists this makes no difference; the baby is still part of the Boatwright clan, who are tight-knit despite their drinking, fighting and womanizing. But Bone’s mother, Anney, is mortified and determined to legitimize her daughter. When Anney marries Glen, the son of a well-to-do dairyman, it seems her life is set on the right path. However, when their first child is stillborn, Glen begins to take out his frustrations on Bone. Unable to fully understand, and ashamed to admit what is really happening, Bone nurtures her rage silently, while Anney, unaware of the extent of the abuse, stands by her man and dreams of a better life for her family.
There are moments of brilliant writing in this work. I was particularly grateful for occasional laugh-out-loud passages (especially when Bone is describing her own lack of singing talent). Allison does a fine job of “showing” us the characters, rather than telling us what they are like. Bone’s ability to show compassion despite her rage is admirable. But she IS a child, and cannot be expected to always behave nobly. This is an emotionally wrenching read; some of the scenes are just horrific.
Ruth Anne (“Bone”) is born to her extremely beautiful 15-year-old mother shortly after an auto accident. In the confusion at the hospital her grandmother and aunt can’t agree on her name and as a result her birth certificate bears the label “Illegitimate.” Her grandmother insists this makes no difference; the baby is still part of the Boatwright clan, who are tight-knit despite their drinking, fighting and womanizing. But Bone’s mother, Anney, is mortified and determined to legitimize her daughter. When Anney marries Glen, the son of a well-to-do dairyman, it seems her life is set on the right path. However, when their first child is stillborn, Glen begins to take out his frustrations on Bone. Unable to fully understand, and ashamed to admit what is really happening, Bone nurtures her rage silently, while Anney, unaware of the extent of the abuse, stands by her man and dreams of a better life for her family.
There are moments of brilliant writing in this work. I was particularly grateful for occasional laugh-out-loud passages (especially when Bone is describing her own lack of singing talent). Allison does a fine job of “showing” us the characters, rather than telling us what they are like. Bone’s ability to show compassion despite her rage is admirable. But she IS a child, and cannot be expected to always behave nobly. This is an emotionally wrenching read; some of the scenes are just horrific.
lilycarotherss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia
casspro's review against another edition
2.0
I read this on an airplane and I'm chalking up the turbulence as to why I can't for the life of me remember the plot line of this book. I know it's about a girl named Bone who lives in the rural South and suffers a series of beatings and abuse from family members. It was on my list of banned or controversial books to read and I blew through it so fast, none of it really stuck. I guess I liked it, but I can really give it a fair review without another go at it.
myriadreads's review against another edition
4.0
Powerful. Lyrical. Immersive.
The book as a whole was so disturbing that I haven't even been letting myself think about the story when it crowds into my head today. I'm going to have to let this rest before I come back to it for deeper reflection.
The book as a whole was so disturbing that I haven't even been letting myself think about the story when it crowds into my head today. I'm going to have to let this rest before I come back to it for deeper reflection.