Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

6 reviews

kaywhiteley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

I feel like I will never emotionally recover from this. Fantastic story and writing that does not shy away from the horrors of terminal illness and the evil of homophobia. It wasn't happy or hopeful and as difficult as it is to read, the AIDS epidemic was tragic and devastating and the stories of the people who suffered during it deserve to be honored. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Terminal illness

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Body shaming, Classism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Racism

lavenderviolin's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Outing, Religious bigotry, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, and Eating disorder

anniekayefic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

While not a happy or uplifting book at all, still a well-written and edited one, and an important read. While I’m old enough to have been well aware of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, still it’s only as an adult that I have come to understand the real stories of the men who were dying by the thousands, the discrimination they encountered, and those who cared for them - friends, boyfriends, lesbian friends, healthcare providers, and family. This story, while fiction, tells so many stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Grief, Bullying, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Eating disorder, Excrement, and Body shaming

Minor: Drug use

amandabcook's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Homophobia, Terminal illness, Bullying, Child death, Death, Grief, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Eating disorder

Minor: Miscarriage, Excrement, Alcohol, Body shaming, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

mothumn's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Cursing, Medical content, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Racism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcoholism, Death, and Hate crime

Minor: Eating disorder, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Cancer, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Bullying, Child death, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

maiahhtratchh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This book. Holy f*ck. It might be one of the saddest most upsetting but beautiful books I’ve ever read. I swear I haven’t cried as much reading a book as I did with this one. The characters each elicited such strong reactions from me. I’ve read a few comments saying that the point of view of the family made it harder to connect with Brian and I would disagree. I think that the altering points of view accomplished what they were supposed to, show the realities and complexities of family relationships and queerness during the early days of the AIDS crisis. And I was still able to connect with and understand Brian through his video diaries, his actions, and the love his family felt for him despite their ignorance. This book should be read with the understanding that the primary points of view are told through the mother and sister and feature a TON of familial homophobia in the prose. Would I read this book again? Good question. I would definitely recommend it but I would have to be in the right headspace to read it again because it’s just so intense. 

I’m SO upset with how it ended with Travis and Brian. I kept expecting and hoping he would BE THERE and he would tell Brian he loved him at the end ANYTHING. I did love how the last point of view was from Travis as I was thinking throughout it that I wanted to know what was going on in his mind and while the last chapter finally shed light it did not absolve his actions. The small poem at the end also hurt as it showed all Brian wanted was that love and acceptance from his parents- as every child does, specifically those who have been shunned. I understand why it happened that way. It was realistic of the time and story that not everyone would be able to put aside their ignorance or complex feelings at the end. I did find it interesting the similarities between Travis reacting to Brian throughout the book and how Brian recounted his reaction in Shaun’s last days. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Bullying, and Grief

Moderate: Excrement

Minor: Miscarriage and Adult/minor relationship