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hilary_weckstein's review against another edition
4.0
I definitely just learned that “ thieves in the night” comes from the last page of this book!
mariahhamilton's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was really well written, obviously it’s by toni morrison. but truthfully it’s a bit of a mind fuck. i still don’t know how i feel about the ending. it is very interesting how pecola reacts to getting blue eyes, and how she interacts with herself afterward. how did she get blue eyes? i think it’s a metaphor for black beauty not being recognized until conforming to white standards, but i need to think about it more.
torischmidt35's review against another edition
my library app keeps glitching and restarting my book and i wasn’t invested enough to figure it out and try again
motherbird76's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Easier to follow once I got the physical book in my hand. The author did a GREAT job narrating her book. That was a great listen. It was odd that in this audiobook- the FORWARD (in the print book) was at the END of the audiobook as an Author's Note.
lkeyte's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
thealexarachelle's review against another edition
3.0
3.5.... Not because the prose aren’t beautiful but this book is very disturbing. I mean I knew it would be as far as race goes so I prepared for that, but I also just thought it was about a little girl that sadly wanted blue eyes. I didn’t realize everything else that was connected with that want. I just felt so awful for Pecola and kind of helpless reading this. I know she is just a character, but a lot of this was just way too much for me to read. And I read disturbing books, but it’s different when a child is involved
rapraa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is what I would call a necessary read. It is horrifying and enlightening and frustrating. We see the world surrounding a young Black girl who desperately wants blue eyes, set in the 1960s. We see how the world sees her and treats her, and we see how she naively sees the world. There's a ton of commentary about race and gender and class hierarchies that Toni Morrison skillfully shows the reader through her characterizations. By telling readers about the backgrounds of even the most evil of characters, we see how generational trauma, systemic racism, and broken families have long lasting impacts. It is so interesting to see the rules and brutality of our society through the perspective of a child, and the innocence and helplessness of a child in this society is terrifying. You'll have a heavy heart as you leave this story, but it's one that everyone should know and think about.
jansbookcorner's review against another edition
3.0
I hate when I don't like a book about an important topic, but this was one of those books for me. I just wanted more out of this book than I got. I am going to check out some more of Toni Morrison's books though as I know she is too highly of a rated author.
gunnarthewolf's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Incest, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Sexual violence
danchrist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
It’s a masterpiece. A tragic, dark, foreboding, horrible mirror held up to humanity at its worst and most honest.