Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

16 reviews

lattelibrarian's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

3.75

I picked this book for my discussion group and I'm excited to see what they have to say about it. It's unlike much of what we've read: it features multiple perspectives, the characters are complicated in an obvious way, and there's no easy resolution. Then again, it is also similar to what we've read in that it discusses difficult themes such as abuse, intergenerational trauma, and grief. 

This book is a small slice of life after Adan kills a wealthy white man and his own daughter (though he won't admit to the latter). Lala, his wife and main character, must reckon with this while also understanding that she can no longer lay low or suffer his abuse. Her story is framed by that of the one-armed sister, who went into a tunnel when she wasn't supposed to and came out with one arm. Lala wonders why this tale is cautionary: the one-armed sister can still cook and clean, though it might be more difficult. Her grandmother Wilma retorts, how is she going to sweep her house? Well, this story explains how.

Lala went into her own tunnel and married Adan. Though he does physically harm her, but not to the extent of her losing her arm, she is totally restrained. He steals her money, he silences her, he traumatizes her. She is no longer, metaphorically speaking, a complete woman. Something about her has been lost along the way, and it's all thanks to Adan. And, of course, it's Adan who goes into the tunnels and he, until the end, remains unharmed.

We are also privy to their history: how Lala and Adan grew up, how Adan doesn't know that Lala and his best friend Tone know each other from childhood, how Lala's mother died. The stories weave together to create a scenic yet terrifying backdrop of how they came to be.

I so wished for Adan to be punished. I wanted the police officer to solve the case. I wanted Mira to have her justice. But books like these don't give us a neat ending. Instead, they give us a new beginning.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Misogyny, and Child death

hootreads's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Child death, Gun violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

saara_ilona_muu's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad 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

Danielle Vitalis narrated this book in an incredibly monotonous tone. The story, itself, is very good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Torture, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Murder, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Abandonment, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Blood, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Incest, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Sexual content

mirireads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Rape

Minor: Miscarriage

kashby's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Infertility, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, and Toxic relationship

sierranichole's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

     this book is just excellent. so flawless. it is easily my favorite and most important book i have read yet. it really made me think and reflect. cherie jones did a marvelous job.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Incest, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Child death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexual content

Minor: Animal death, Abortion, and Excrement

utopiaandmelancholy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

This book is easily the darkest, most traumatic book I have read in a long time, so if there are any subjects you find difficult to read about, it may be best avoided. However, I adored it. The writing had me gripped. I found getting the perspectives of a number of different characters about the central events of the narrative and all the surrounding history really transfixed me to the tragedy of it all. I really felt for most of the characters, trapped in their seemingly hopeless situations - parts of Lala's story made me want to cry. The violence in the story is graphic in places (particularly Mira's chapters at the start), and yet so matter of fact in others. I also really appreciated Mira's storyline and thoughts, both for its exploration of grief, shock, and guilt, and for the way her mixed heritage impacts on her life in Barbados and in England. A heartbreaking and stunning debut.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Rape, and Infertility

Moderate: Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Vomit, Abortion, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Drug use, Incest, and Toxic friendship

emsky's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Murder

livreads16's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, and Pregnancy

emilily's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Child death, Grief, Death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Colonisation and Classism