Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

20 reviews

asainspace's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Trafficking and Abandonment

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

introvertsbookclub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Heavy, intense and incredibly dark, this novel explores the choices that the most vulnerable people are forced to make to survive. The characters and their actions range across the entire spectrum of morality, some of them do bad things for good reasons, some do awful things for which there are no excuse, but they all end up betraying the people they are trying to protect.

The village the novel takes place within is full of overlapping relationships and loyalties. The plot is driven by the imbalance of power between the rich and poor, the investors in the area and the people who actually live there. Within the community of inhabitants, desperation drives greed and violence, and colourism, homophobia and sexism are easy ways to assert a little bit of dominance over someone else. But Dennis-Benn makes clear throughout that the bleakness that has descended upon the village is a result of exploitation and poverty.

A rich tapestry of characters live within the village. The novel follows a family of women and explores the relationships between mothers and daughters, sisters, neighbours, lovers, sex workers and bosses. A lot of abuse is perpetrated, but there are also attempts to protect one another and carve out a future. It is a multi-faceted story, full of detail and emotion and unique perspectives. At time it is difficult to read, but it is worth it in the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

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

doreneemi's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Rape and Racism

eleven_hummingbird's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Exploring themes of violence, wealth, and autonomy, Here Comes the Sun follows two sisters and their abusive mother through the slums and resorts of Jamaica. With elegant prose, the characters are brought to life with engaging dialogue and palpable emotions.
Sexual and domestic violence are a paramount theme throughout. Margot's narrative largely follows her struggle to climb above hotel work and prostitution, while also balancing the weight of family and her romantic interest, the latter expanding into a major narrative exploring saphism and homophobia. Most of the female cast have histories of sexual violence, which plays importance throughout.
Wealth, or lackthereof, is another major theme. The impoverished backgrounds of most of the cast is starkly contrasted with the wealth of foreigners and the tourism industry, further split by the overlap of language, class, and skin color.
Impelled to be successful by her mother, who scrapes a living selling trinkets to tourists, Margot passes on most of her earnings towards her sister's education, while Thandi herself struggles to find her own identity and desires.
The conflict of sacrifice and blame between the family ultimately coalesces into an underlying question of autonomy.
A very good debut novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Homophobia

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence