Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

15 reviews

tinkithesquirelll's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense 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? No

4.5

4.5 stars.
This was a phenomenal book. I loved the inside on how india operated and the families. This was a beautiful book about hardship , love , guilt, and starting over. I love Lakshmi and respect the hardship she had to endure throughout this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Racism, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Infidelity, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicide

jrow's review against another edition

hopeful sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Minor: Stalking, Grief, Colonisation, Bullying, Vomit, and Abandonment

nirejalk's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Sexual content, Miscarriage, and Grief

betag1013's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Abortion, Death, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Infertility, Pregnancy, Medical content, Physical abuse, Grief, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

jennswan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Abortion, Classism, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infertility, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Vomit

sknappy1's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Hands down, one of the best books I've read in decades. It takes place in the 1950s in Jaipur, and Joshi tackles important women's issues, especially reproductive struggles, including contraception, abortion, infertility, teen pregnancy, and adoption. The main character, Lakshmi, left an abusive marriage and struck out on her own. She has created her own successful henna business, climbing up the ladder by serving the higher-up elite women of Jaipur. On the side, she also creates herbal remedies for women to help them have control over their own lives, such herbal teas to prevent pregnancy, abort an unwanted one, or to increase fertility for those struggling to conceive. Years later, a sister that she didn't even know that she had shows up at her door. Everything changes for her as she takes her sister under her wing and as the two learn to understand one another. So much about social status is discussed in this book as well. There are moments that will break your heart. Lakshmi is a strong and clever main character who fights for her success and independence, as well as for that of the women around her. The Henna Artist is a beautiful, moving, and engaging book that had me hooked from the beginning. Highly recommend. Five stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Abortion, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexism

Moderate: Infertility, Sexual content, Trafficking, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Minor: Blood, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Vomit

sleepybears4237's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book. I flew through it, eager to know the secrets of each page. The characters are flawed, and lovable. The stories are fraught with emotion and complications.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Abortion, Grief, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage

someryarns's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Abortion, Child death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abandonment, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, and Infertility

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

this was very heartfelt and also informative. i really enjoyed this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Abandonment, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Medical content, Vomit, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Self harm, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Death, Body horror, Classism, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

sharebear431's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Infidelity, Infertility, Grief, and Child death

Moderate: Domestic abuse