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mckinlay'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
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Rape
cwg's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
Read this Summer of 2022 when I was feeling dour. Cheered me up a bit.
Light-hearted reading. Easy to read, easy to love characters.
Interesting narrative structure (past and present, narrative embedded within narrative).
Product of its era, not just in the sense of it being set in 1920s and 1990s South (approximation) — do mind the TW’s if you’re wary — but if you can get past that, it’s a lovely story about community.
It’s also got elements of “found family,” which, while I won’t give details, was easily my favorite segment within the book (of course it’s the relationship
Moderate: Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Body shaming, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cannibalism, Eating disorder, and Pregnancy
katndrsn'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, Homophobia, Racism, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Hate crime, and Cancer
Minor: Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Cannibalism, War, Rape, and Emotional abuse
neali'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
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Rape and Domestic abuse
theroadjones'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
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Cannibalism
maiahhtratchh'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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, and Rape
Minor: Cannibalism
beccalove's review against another edition
3.0
First off, I want to open with the fact that this book is drowning in racism that is both relevant and not relevant to the historical context of part of the story and its location. There's a number of chapters that could be removed entirely and honestly seem to exist solely because Flagg wanted to say them herself (including WAYY too much comfort using the N word). It was written and published in the 1980's focused on small-town Alabama and the story bounces between there and several other time periods, mainly the 1930's. So for that reason alone, I don't recommend it.
Secondly, while there are some beautiful sections with an explicit sapphic love story - those characters don't experience a happy ending and Fannie Flagg fell prey to the #buryyourgays trope despite being a lesbian herself. Idgie isn't there when Ruth dies and her death is treated with no emotion at all really. There's no mourning, no sharing of Idgie's partner of almost 2 decades (and love of her life), and that alone pissed me off enough to stop reading for 24 hours. After Ruth dies, their story is absent from the book for almost all of the final hundred pages and the final graveside mention just leaves so much to be desired.
At the end of the day, there are some beautiful scenes and I'm thankful to have read a book from that period which has a queer love story so well accepted and respected by all the other characters in the book. However, the racism is inescapable and the lack of a good ending for our queer characters leaves me disappointed in the novel overall.
⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death, Alcohol, and Body shaming
artstitute's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Cancer, Racism, Rape, Body shaming, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Cannibalism, Infidelity, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Eating disorder, and Mental illness
Minor: Pregnancy, Bullying, and Vomit
itsmackie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Cancer, Murder, Terminal illness, and Hate crime
Minor: Body shaming, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
kochi'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? No
3.0
Graphic: Rape, Fatphobia, Child death, Death, Ableism, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, and Racism