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bookmaddie's review
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Sexual assault and Blood
kellyloubishop's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Animal death
Minor: Sexual content, Trafficking, and Police brutality
kellyofcali's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.5
This book feels in some ways surrealist, even though much of it really is not, which is honestly very unique and compliment to the author. She paints a grimy city with struggling and often highly flawed inhabitants, but it is a very vibrant picture. I struggled at times with some of the loose ends and definitely liked some storylines better than others (and wanted MORE from those), but it's definitely worth a read. It also feels so very British.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Trafficking, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Addiction
Minor: Police brutality and Death
sarahholliday's review
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There's so much to this story, it's hard to know where to begin!
If you love books with a large cast of characters and interconnected storylines...
If you love stories that deal with gender, class, money, sex, power, and gentrification...
If you love books that are character-focused, but that move at a nice pace...
...this might be the book for you.
As a historian who has studied prostitution, I loved the nods to London's long history of sex work ("stew" was a historical term for a brothel). It was also great to see a sex worker as a main character, but whose storyline didn't revolve around her work. There's a sense throughout the story that Precious & her fellow sex workers would've been evicted regardless of their employment. Almost all of the storylines and relationships in Hot Stew can be reduced down to economic transactions, judgements about money (and who deserves it), or the decision to live outside of the traditional economy.
If there's a critique to be made, it's that Mozley glides too easily past race & racism as factors in a story about gentrification, sex work, policing, and corruption in government.
Overall, I think Hot Stew is a sharp, witty, Dickensian tale, and an enthralling portrait of London to boot.
If you love books with a large cast of characters and interconnected storylines...
If you love stories that deal with gender, class, money, sex, power, and gentrification...
If you love books that are character-focused, but that move at a nice pace...
...this might be the book for you.
As a historian who has studied prostitution, I loved the nods to London's long history of sex work ("stew" was a historical term for a brothel). It was also great to see a sex worker as a main character, but whose storyline didn't revolve around her work. There's a sense throughout the story that Precious & her fellow sex workers would've been evicted regardless of their employment. Almost all of the storylines and relationships in Hot Stew can be reduced down to economic transactions, judgements about money (and who deserves it), or the decision to live outside of the traditional economy.
If there's a critique to be made, it's that Mozley glides too easily past race & racism as factors in a story about gentrification, sex work, policing, and corruption in government.
Overall, I think Hot Stew is a sharp, witty, Dickensian tale, and an enthralling portrait of London to boot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship
Minor: Violence, Sexual content, and Police brutality
More...