Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

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

47 reviews

derigibleplums's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

I'm not sure if I liked this book a 5 stars amount or if I just fell in love with Danielle Vitalis's narration. Before I started listening someone described this book as containing nearly every type of violence apart from war and I'd say that's about right really. I was so prepared to be furious with the ending but was pleasantly surprised.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault and Gun violence

sarah984's review

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, Police brutality, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, and Stalking

Minor: Ableism, Abortion, Drug use, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Vomit

teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition

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

3.5

There is no mistaking that this is a dark, heavy, sad story. The writing was very good, but the story telling was bumpy and choppy. I want to say that was par for the course. I did not feel good when I finished this book, it left me unsettled.  There is a little bit of hope, but not much and what II remember most was that iat was just sad.

 I know that this will be the right book for some and it will be loved, but also disliked. If you feel it might be one for you, please read content warnings. You need to be in the right head space for it. 

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Child death, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Incest, and Grief

Minor: Trafficking and Misogyny

rxnnmelody's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Miscarriage, and Child abuse

bookwormandtheatremouse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Drug use

womanwill's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Infertility and Infidelity

Minor: Abortion, Dementia, Drug use, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

 
How the One Eyed Sister Sweeps Her House has been shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and I can certainly see why. The writing and storyline were engaging, drew me in and quickly had me absorbed. The protagonist Lala was a spunky child from a difficult background determined to play by her rules and forge her own path in life, contrary to the good advice and cautionary tales dispensed by her grandmother. Unfortunately for her she chose to get involved with the wrong man, and her life became blighted by violence that she struggled to free herself from. Set in a Barbados resort town this novel highlights its darker side, the one tourists don’t get to see, the one that involves the sale of drugs, addiction, domestic abuse, poverty, violence, sexual assault, crime, murder, corruption, the death of a child and generational abuse. Through Lala we get an excellent insight into the psychology of domestic abuse victims. While Lala was the main character there were several interesting lesser characters including Mira, the former prostitute who married a wealthy visitor and, most heartbreakingly, Tone a sometime accomplice of Lala’s husband who can see the truth of her marriage and who has secretly loved her from childhood. Through their compelling intertwining stories we see that Paradise is anything but for those who live there. It’s a book that was relentlessness grim but also impossible to put down.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

achiunicorn's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, and Death of parent

Minor: Incest

literaryelephant's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Infidelity

glitteringeyes418's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship