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feeohnaemily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Excrement, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Rape, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Child death
rosysnake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation and Slavery
Minor: Violence, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Rape, Murder, Deportation, and Child death
zoebill96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Death, Torture, and War
rhianonw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racism, Violence, Slavery, and Torture
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Body shaming, Confinement, Rape, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Genocide, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, and Vomit
amberinbookland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Trafficking, Slavery, Racism, Violence, Vomit, Excrement, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Grief, Gore, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Child death, Cannibalism, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
booksjessreads's review against another edition
- 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
The concept of this book was brilliant, combining two pieces of traditional slavery literature - the slaver's manifesto and the escape story - and allowed us to gain both the slaver and enslaved perspectives. The whole concept of white people being enslaved was what also drew me to the book. It was a lot of the profound and creative word choices in relation to this that really hooked me.
I noticed also that the slaver's writings in Blonde Roots drew influence from slaver's and travellers writings, such as Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness which added an eerie and uncomfortable sense to the manifesto presented in the novel. The dark humour crafted around white culture also added an interesting dimension and the satire in regards to this was so well crafted!
Whilst there were more "humorous" parts, it goes without saying that there are much darker themes at play and it did get quite heavy. However, it's a novel that really allowed me to engage and follow the characters and nevertheless I really enjoyed it!
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Child death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Rape and Miscarriage
andreiaoh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I was slow to warm up to this book and it was not an easy read at all but incredibly powerful and Evaristo's writing was wonderful. I loved the mixed medium style of this novel from standard prose, to non-fiction-esque passages, posters, advertisements and diary entries and I think it definitely made this a little easier to digest, particularly around the half way point.
This novel was simultaneously exactly what I expected as well as took me off guard completely and it'll definitely be a story I'll be thinking about for a long time.
Graphic: Slavery, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Vomit, Trafficking, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, and Excrement
muchadoaboutliz's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror and Confinement
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Trafficking