Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

10 reviews

mamareadstuff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

I started reading a physical copy, and couldn't was quite get into the writing style, but I think it was more because I couldn't hear the pronunciation as written. Once I switched to the audio and could hear the pronunciation/dialect as it was written it was hard not to fall in love with the characters, to feel where they are in life, the lack of choices they felt they had, how tourism can often have negative effects on the local people, and how individual choices have impacted not only their own lives, but rheir loved ones and their community as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Violence

kelisabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Murder, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Blood, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Grief, Biphobia, Sexism, Trafficking, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Classism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Self harm

jadenchimes06's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Self harm, Alcohol, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, and Violence

sohva's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I am conflicted of this book. On one hand it is well-written, the characters are interesting and the description of the environment is immersive. On the other hand there is no sense of direction for the majority of the book. The characters just get worse and worse and get into shittier and shittier situation, but it is unclear until close to the end whether this solves any purpose.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Lesbophobia, Racism, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Sexism

Moderate: Dementia, Abandonment, and Classism

lostinthelibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

4.5

This was a tough but rewarding read. The characters and the setting just spring from the page and I felt a full range of emotions and opinions regarding them. The Jamaican patois and the nature images added even more to a grim story in a vibrant setting. This is a book I won't be forgetting in a hurry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, and Child abuse

Moderate: Classism and Hate crime

midnightmarauder's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.5

Despite the colorful, light-hearted book cover and title, this novel is anything but.

Here Comes the Sun follows Margot, a woman living in the fictional town of River Bank, Jamaica. She lives in a shack with her mother, Delores, sister Thandi, and senile grandmother Merle. By day, she works the front desk of a hotel, but by night, she

doubles as a prostitute

, working to make a better life for both herself and her sister, Thandi. 

Her second occupation is not the only secret she hides, however; she is also in a romantic relationship with a woman named Verdene, the town's pariah. 

What I liked about the novel was that it covered many themes. Some of the main themes covered include colorism, generational trauma/curses, classism, gentrification, and lesbophobia. The central theme in the book seems to be generational curses and the effect it has on people in adulthood. 

Margot was born when Delores was fourteen years old, and

it is implied that she was conceived by rape

. This caused Delores to resent Margot her entire life, never showing her any love or affection. Later, when Margot was in her early teen years, Delores

sold her to men for money. Delores also stated that she did it to "fix her", because Margot had expressed an early attraction to Verdene.

This early trauma leads Margot into hypersexuality as an adult,

thus sprouting her career in prostitution

.

It is implied that Delores went through similar treatment at the hands of her mother, Merle. So, the generational curse continued to be passed down. 

Margot's overall goal is to make it to the top so that she can leave River Bank in the rearview, along with the trauma she faced growing up. But, the things she has to do to get there don't sit well with her, ultimately eating her up so much that she

ends up getting away from River Bank, but at the expense of the ones she loved

. 

Nicole Dennis-Benn did a wonderful job at developing the characters. Authors can sometimes make their protagonists either too flawed or not flawed enough. Nicole found the right mix for each character she created. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was heartbreaking, yet kept me continuously flipping to the next page, anticipating what would happen next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Colonisation, Misogyny, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death

Minor: Outing

tinytrashqueen's review against another edition

dark sad slow-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? Yes

2.0

The cover is deceiving. This is probably one of the most hopeless and depressing books I've ever read. Also highly recommend checking content warnings for this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Classism, Grief, Misogyny, Animal death, Racism, and Trafficking

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Drug use and Alcoholism

asphodel04's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Outing, Sexual content, Animal death, Classism, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Bullying, Sexual content, Abandonment, Death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Excrement, Gaslighting, Genocide, Incest, Murder, Death of parent, and Hate crime

cheesepuppy's review against another edition

4.5

Multigenerational  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Classism, Colonisation, Sexual content, Rape, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

joisaddler's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Animal death, Racism, Classism, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Hate crime