Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

42 reviews

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

bimboliciousame's review

adventurous emotional sad medium-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

4.25

It was really good! I really liked the pacing which is rare for me. The ending felt like a plot twist but not like it was completely out of nowhere. I really liked how it was written without political claims because it leaves room for discussion while still pushing the readers’ thoughts. The narrator constantly asks questions which forces active reading onto the readers which is amazing. However,

the circumstances of Tea Cake’s death felt random although the fact that he ended up dead didn’t. I mean it could be implied that Tea Cake would die because of Janie’s past relationships. But, the fact he died via rabies by a dog in a hurricane felt so random.

But, i also believe it could’ve been an element of good being unpredictable and unstoppable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Death, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Classism

Minor: Animal death and Rape

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

charityc's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Misogyny

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

carsten_moment's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Their Eyes Were Watching God follows the life of Janie from childhood to her forties through three marriages. As Janie grows up, she learns about who she is and what her reality is like. With an interesting structure and down-to-Earth characters, this novel is replete with more philosophy than expected.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Rape

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

henrib11's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

Incredibly well written and dialogue heavy. A story worth reading and easy to fall in love with.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Bullying, Body shaming, Classism, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Hate crime, and Racism

Minor: Medical trauma, Slavery, Violence, Confinement, Gun violence, and Addiction

alexisgarcia's review

emotional reflective 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

4.0

a very good book, especially considering when it was written. it was way ahead of its time. the characters were incredibly realistic. they were lovable but definitely flawed. this book could’ve been nonfiction because of how real and natural the characters and plot were. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Violence, Murder, Sexism, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Racism, and Toxic relationship