Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House

It was a bookclub pick, and it was too violent and graphic for me. I kept reading even after I first wanted to stop because of wanting to finish it for book club and in the hope that there was some sort of redemption arc or that the bad guy gets his due, but it just got more and more graphic and awful. I definitely should have read the trigger warnings before starting.

First stopped reading for a few weeks at

Baby's death after Adan and Lala fight over her and he hurts her

, picked up again and read more

rape, violence and abuse

and I'm struggling to see how it can resolve in a way I'd want to finish.

Content Warnings

jennikreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

5.0

HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE tells the stories of a handful of people in an island town. Two very traumatic things happen right at the beginning of the story that set the stage for the story to unfold. It’s a little bit mystery and a whole lot character study.

This is gorgeously written and I could not put it down. The story that unfolds is so layered and nuanced. I loved that Jones would slip in the stories of other characters, told from their perspectives, that we could easily assume we would only hear about from the perspectives of others. It gave such a rich entangled feel to the story and made your heart ache just that much more for the central characters.

I was honestly very hesitant to read this one after hearing everyone who mentioned it shout from the roof top that it was brutal and the list of content warnings (right fully so) were endless. But, a fellow bookstagrammer spoke about it in a way that intrigued me and when I reached out to ask her about her reading experience. She assured me that it is not gratuitous. And that’s absolutely true.

The violence and abuse in this book are absolutely unsettling, and will genuinely trigger some people, but they are not without context and they are never there for the sake of shock. While the content warnings span the entire length of the novel, there are definitely what I would call breaks from that type of content to let your mind breathe.

All that to say, that if you, like me, were unsure whether this would be for you, give it a go, but please review the content warnings first.

Content Warnings

sarah984's review

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challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.0

This is a multi-pov novel set in Barbados in (aside from a few flashbacks) 1984 showcasing the explosive ways several people’s disparate lives come together in one moment in time.

This book left me a little conflicted. In a general technical sense, the writing is beautiful, particularly in the sections in second person, and while there was sort of a feeling of being somehow distanced from the characters I think that might be necessary to get through some of the story’s tough subject matter.

I was expecting a heavy read but maybe not quite this heavy. The hopeful note at the end was nice but I was left wondering what I should be taking away aside from how difficult everyone's lives were.

Content Warnings

literaryelephant's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense

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

4.0

Though I wished the characters had been given more individual personality (they are all basically embodied pain), I thought this was an incredible (historical) story of generational trauma and the wealth divide in Paradise, a Barbados beach and village. The format and prose is somewhat circular, offering a range of perspectives branching off of two recent crimes and filling in details before honing in on sharp narrative points. Brutal and sad, but well-placed on the Women's Prize shortlist this year.

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slantedspines's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.5

Jones’ writing is so impressive and I love how she wove the characters’ dialects into her lyrical prose. At the end of the novel I enjoyed how all of the characters kind of came full circle in the story, including a few people who kept cleverly reappearing. The book carries a lot, generational trauma and toxic patriarchy to name just two very apparent themes.

Although skillfully executed, this story is quite joyless and heavy, so I don’t advise anyone to pick up this book lightly. It is an incredibly raw portrayal of poverty, physical and sexual violence, and death, so do consider your own well-being while reading it.

Trigger warnings for this book: physical/domestic abuse, child abuse, rape, infant death, sex work, pedophilia, incest, murder, burglary, victim blaming, animal abuse, diarrhea, infidelity, gun violence

Content Warnings

the_secret_librarian's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.5

I wasn’t entirely sure what this book was about before I picked it up as I’d not seen any reviews of it, and therefore I was quite surprised and shocked whilst reading the first few chapters. So much so that I had to put it down and gather my thoughts.

The book is full of heartache and sadness but I did also feel a small sense of hopefulness towards the end. I felt pretty immersed in the story and I could really visualise the beach that took centre stage in the book, as well as the characters. I liked the way that Cherie went between the main year that the book was set in and back in time to explain more about the characters which I do think really helped me understand their behaviour and the way they thought.

Cherie writes so well and I can honestly say this book is a phenomenal debut.

Content Warnings

breannamarie619's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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