Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

40 reviews

frankieclc's review against another edition

3.0

you know in films or tv shows where you see obvious ad placement ? thats what reading this book felt like, sooooo many name drops . were they necessary????

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Sexism and Sexual content

r_gale's review

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

Loved this book, took a while for me to get into it with the chapters jumping between 4 characters. But once I hit the half way point I struggled to put it down. 

Love the way she writes so clever and funny and the characters are so well rounded, can't wait to read the next book ! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Sexism, Racism, and War

atamano's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Transphobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Homophobia, Child abuse, Colonisation, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, War, Blood, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, and Cursing

unablelemon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

corvinscorner's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Grief, Homophobia, Classism, Deadnaming, Death, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

risaleel's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Outing, Death, Transphobia, Racism, and War

Moderate: Sexism, Toxic friendship, Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Drug use, Confinement, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Infidelity, and Kidnapping

l4urenf13's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia and Deadnaming

Moderate: Abortion, Homophobia, War, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Sexism, Sexual content, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Grief

tiredcreature's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.0

There is a core of a solid criticism of white cishet feminism in there, but ultimately all the intersectional characters act as backdrop and support to a conflict between two white cishet women, and the whole thing falls flat

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Child abuse, and Transphobia

Moderate: Hate crime

Minor: Kidnapping and Car accident

bookishwondergoth's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative 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? Yes

4.0

I loved this book. It was well written, modern, fresh and topical and full of twists and turns.

I see from other reviews people have commented that the writing style seems too informal and littered with slang and references that are shoe-horned in. I personally don't agree with this criticism at all. The informality works for its contemporary setting. Also, Niamh and the relationship she has with her friends and their children felt very familiar to me and my own experiences as an adult who lived as a child through the 90s.

I also really enjoyed the examinations of intersectional feminism (or the lack of it in many white women) and its flat-out codemnation of TERFism. This was very clearly written in response to J. K. Rowling's transphobic essay published in 2020. It's not subtle, but then TERFs are not at all subtle with their transphobia in the UK, so did I care? No. Fuck TERFs. Their mindset makes ZERO sense and Juno Dawson does a really good job of showing just how completely nonsensical it is.

I do think there are some segments that could have been better fleshed out/made relevant to the main story (pretty much everything to do with Leonie and her breakaway coven, Diaspora). However, this is the first book in a trilogy, and in the author Q&A with Juno Dawson I attended a couple of weeks ago, she told us that Leonie comes more into play in subsequent books.

I also seriously disagree with those pointing out that for a book about feminism, the women are awfully divided and therefore the book is not feminist. That is the point. Division over these issues is not feminist because the division is caused by bigotry and intolerance. Therefore the people who do not fight for the rights of women—all women, including transwomen and BIPOC women—are not feminist and they absolutely must be challenged in their views. We're all getting fucked over by the patriarchy here, some moreso than others. Acknowledging that divide, difference, and the very real divisions in friendships and families who disagree over fundamental human rights is important.

This book made me really really angry in the best way and I can't wait to read the next one. Might have to borrow it from a friend as the copy I plan to buy isn't due for dispatch until November, gah.

Anyway, loved it. Highly recommended.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Death, Body horror, Bullying, Violence, War, Cursing, Murder, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Transphobia

Moderate: Sexism, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Animal death, Lesbophobia, and Racism

katndrsn's review

The way the women’s sexuality with other women/men was just.. weird. The characters weren’t believable and it dragged

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, and Misogyny

Moderate: Transphobia and Child abuse