Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

36 reviews

suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.5

Yippee out of my reading slump :D I would say the pros of this book are that the story itself was really interesting and it was honestly fast to visualize and get through. I would say this comes off less as a sci-fi and more as a thriller in my opinion (similar to Get Out the movie), but with a lot of diversity and some really smart moments. This was a blind purchase for me, and I think that is the best way to go into this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Xenophobia and Classism

cannibalism!

cassielaj's review against another edition

fast-paced

• 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

1.0

At 20-30%, I kept reading because I thought it might eventually go somewhere. 
At 50%, I thought we were finally getting to something decent. 
By 75%, I was finishing this out of spite. 
This book is all kinds of confused about the story it’s telling. The majority of it is just the story of a woman unhappy with her life and striving for more. There’s a whisper of a “thriller,” until it smacks you across the face at about 85% and then ends so abruptly and with such an obvious cop-out that I feel nothing but annoyed that I spent the day reading this. And frustrated that it really could’ve done something. Take out everything about her weird ex (who is set up to be way more important than he is) and her best friend’s business and relationship (which is probably the best-developed content but totally irrelevant) and you have a 20-page short horror story with a decent premise, a wild twist, and an obvious ending. I’m annoyed that this book tried to do so many things (cultural critique, class & colonization discussion, womanhood, etc.) that could’ve been good but did them so poorly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content

anditsreal's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely loved it. Only disappointment was the misrepresentation of Tantra as a sexual practice (that's the Western appropriation of it, traditional Tantra has absolutely nothing to do with sex).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

chris_reads's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

The end felt a little abrupt. Characters could be frustrating but were ultimately compelling. The prose and themes are where this book really shines though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Gore, Racial slurs, Self harm, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Alcohol

parissummerreads's review

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, and Cannibalism

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

q_bert13's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

An interesting story filled with a cast of complex characters. I enjoyed Manazir Siddiqi’s writing style, and how she would include memories & events from the past to fuel the ‘present’ in the story. 

SLIGHT SPOILERS! 

However, towards the end I did not enjoy the dynamic between the MC and her (possible lover)’s father. I know it’s to emphasize the MC’s flaws and create a sense of fear/discomfort between them, but still… super creepy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Minor: Death, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Cannibalism, and Colonisation

queersubtext's review

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Racial slurs

lttlfl's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

Graphic: Cannibalism and Classism

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Death and Racial slurs

kay_chan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

2.75

My only thoughts at the end of this book is that I just wish it was more. Either darker to make it eerie, or more psychological to make it interesting. 

Disappointed that it just kind of fell flat and I had to keep going back each time I picked up the book to get reoriented. Themes were incredible!

LGBTQ FMC
Pakistani FMC 
Women in STEAM

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Content Warnings

Minor: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, and Classism

Ok so this is a HUGE SPOILER - but I feel like someone needs to mention that the 'powers' are from cannibalism just in case anyone isnt ready for the *dark* nature of content.

dianadelacruisin's review

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

Minor: Animal death