Reviews tagging 'Racism'

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

225 reviews

hazelwood's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

An absolute masterpiece. Octavia Butler would have loved this, I think. The characters are so so realistic! The neurodivergent representation! The gender nonconformity! The aspec representation! The dissection of power and trauma and grief! Not to mention the beautiful use of language and intensely detailed worldbuilding! I am gathering up Aster and Theo and Giselle and Ainy and Pippi and Mabel and Flick and Lune and I am forever holding them close to my heart where they can be safe. I only wish for another book, or an afterword, or something so I can know if it all turned out okay!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Vomit, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Slavery, Confinement, Excrement, Gore, Sexual assault, Cursing, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence

tatteredwings's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Physical abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Abortion, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Racism, Slavery, and Sexism

Moderate: Rape

stripes_and_naps's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

This book was intense, but overall a very good read. I felt like the author did a great job building the world and the characters, so much so that I found myself wishing there was a sequel. I would definitely recommend this book to others, though with a strong caution to review the trigger warnings and be prepared for graphic content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Body horror, Racism, Lesbophobia, Murder, Rape, Abortion, Blood, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Classism, Colonisation, Homophobia, Torture, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Self harm, Violence, Toxic friendship, Slavery, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

madzie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.5

Wow! I am not a fan of sci-fi or dystopian fiction, but this one is so good! Solomon really creates vivid and unique characters that you feel so connected to. They do such a great job of exploring the big ideas and themes they present, with wonderful ideas about how humans interact with the world and society. Sometimes moments can get lost through a jumble, but overall, this book is highly unique and just plain good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Classism, Mental illness, Homophobia, Confinement, Medical content, Slavery, Violence, Suicide, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Transphobia

sproutedpages's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Worldbuilding effortlessly woven into the narrative. At times, a painfully accurate reflection of my own experience navigating the world as a neurodivergent person. The only “shortcoming” was that some of the alternate POVs did not feel as fully realized as Aster’s POV.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

thebakersbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Racism, Violence, Slavery, Death, Blood, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Classism, Grief, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Blood, and Torture

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Body shaming, Abortion, and Forced institutionalization

astridrv's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

It took me a few chapters to get into it but I am now smitten with Solomon's prose. Aster is such a great protagonist, complex, real, unpredictable whilst making perfect sense. I am in love with Theo and thankful to have spent time with them both. The story telling is exquisite, I love the structure (with some jumps and folk tales and non-linear elements). The content is hard to stomach but true to the complexities of trauma and resistance. Also gender feels.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Blood, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Abortion, Child death, Classism, Homophobia, Self harm, Death, Death of parent, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Medical content

kestrelfire's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Transphobia, Rape, Torture, Murder, Violence, and Genocide

smith2ds's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Medical trauma, Rape, Abortion, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Blood, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Body horror

joaniffer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Blood, Death, Child death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Child abuse, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Mental illness