Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

27 reviews

jmiles758's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Violence

Minor: Miscarriage

ewitsell's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Sexism

morsecode's review

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This book is primarily about a family of individuals from Cameroon, two of whom have overstayed their visas, trying to make a life in the United States in and around the 2008 financial crisis (inner lives and histories of the two parents plus how they navigate interpersonal relationships, work/school, the legal system,  and cultural differences).  Their challenges are juxtaposed with that of the family of the Lehman Brothers executive for whom both parents work at one time or another.  I thought it was excellent.

The main characters (the four parents) are shown in all their unvarnished glory, as is America both the lead up to and the immediate aftermath of the collapse.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Suicide

ameeanee's review

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, and Domestic abuse

maybreads's review against another edition

funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

Behold the Dreamers is such an interesting novel, especially for people like me for whom the financial crash is a very formative memory but it mainly consists of listening to the radio and everyone talking about how catastrophic it is without understanding it (aka being born 1997-2001). I had to look up Lehman Brothers. 

Behold the Dreamers works very well in utilizing the dramatic irony that the setting of working on Wallstreet (adjacent) in 2007/8 just before a historic irl event creates. It takes these gigantic surroundings and focuses on the life of an immigrant couple whose place is the USA is not secure. They have a narrative foil in the Wallstreet couple which they work for. 
I think Imbolo Mbue does a fantastic job of portraying the American dream, assimilation, money struggles and immigration. The novel also comments a lot on corruption and in my opinion gender roles. My heart broke with the character's whenever they experienced a setback. 

I think the most interesting aspect of the novel was its portrayal of respectability. Who's a respectable man, what is honorable behavior. Who do the characters not respect and why. Who do they claim to respect but their behavior shows differently. Needless to say that as a reader you will not automatically align yourself with the characters here. 
Behold the Dreamers is not a book that you won't be able to put down. Nevertheless it's an enjoyable read that touches on important topics and creates emotional investment in the story. I would even argue that it has a happy ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

mysterymom40's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Classism, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

miraleighv's review

inspiring 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Death, and Alcoholism

Minor: Death of parent

bessadams's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Child death, Classism, and Death of parent

rachelkreadsbookz's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Drug abuse

Moderate: Child death, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

jessiesnoww's review

emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Grief, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Drug use, Classism, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Homophobia, Child abuse, and Racism