Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

54 reviews

themoostconfused's review against another edition

funny reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Classism, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming and Physical abuse

cateyackerman's review

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Death, and Racism

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Dementia, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Dysphoria, Xenophobia, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Abandonment, Infidelity, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

emmamedina0515's review

challenging hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I read this book for AP Lit. I really enjoyed this book, and I had a great time discussing it in class. There are some nice quotes that I tabbed in my book that I liked. I feel that the way Hurston writes her characters is so complex, especially Mrs. Turner. Like the annotations I have on chapter 16 are crazy cause there's just so much to unpack about her and her insane beliefs/views. I really liked the journey that Janie goes through in this book and seeing her grow and finally find herself at the end of her journey. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about the experience of a black female in the world trying to navigate through her life and trying to find herself and her place within her community. This book allowed me to see life from a different perspective from mine which I think is what great literature should do. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Body shaming

marenm's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective tense 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

2.5

really interesting story but so slow and drawn out 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Adult/minor relationship

historyoftape's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

There are so many good things packed into this story. A rich understanding if culture and language, characters that grow or are stifled depending on their environments, social, economic and political commentary, great dialogue, captivating imagery... It's a book that had me deeply invested in the main character's goals, dreams, and growth, where I loved the side characters, and where, while I may not have made similar decisions, I could understand and even support Janies decisions because I understood that they were the right path for her. The ending was heartbreaking and real, hurt me in a good way. It's been a while since I read a book that finished this strongly.

The way Janies words were so rare in the beginning of the story, to how confident and free in speaking she is by the end was one of the most striking things to me. One of the most effective but subtle ways to show her growth I have encountered in a while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Gun violence, Murder, Confinement, Grief, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction

stindex's review

challenging dark slow-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Racism, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

charliebites's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Racism

Minor: Mental illness, Hate crime, Chronic illness, Dementia, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, and Rape

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is beautifully written. My first thought was, 'this prose is kinda purple.' But actually it is gorgeous and not over the top.

This type of story doesn't appeal to me straight up, but the writing and the characters pulled me in. I didn't cry, but it was a near thing.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

lilliana_blackstar's review

adventurous emotional 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

5.0

Words cannot do justice or portray the expanse of emotion that resides in this book. The writing is divine and alive. Most of the story is told in dialogue - conversations between two or more people, rich in the colloquial speech of the characters: black people in Florida in the early 1920s and 1930s. The dialogue is rich and alive and tells all the things that are happening through gossip or arguments or conversations between lovers or neighbors.

“You’se something tuh make uh man forgit to git old and forgit tuh die.”

Then, in between the conversations, the poetry. Oh, the prose! The poetic narration to fill in the blanks of the story with such depth of color and emotion. 

“So she sat on the porch and watched the moon rise. Soon its amber fluid was drenching the earth, and quenching the thirst of the day.”

“There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought.”

I had a good deep cleansing cry at the end of this book. 

“Of course he wasn’t dead. He could never be dead until she herself had finished feeling and thinking.  The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall. Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see.”

Note - the Harper audiobook is narrated by Ruby Dee, and it is a masterpiece of voice acting. 

I picked this book in January because I wanted to read books by Capricorn authors during Capricorn season. Zora Neale Hurston was born January 7, 1891

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence