Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts by Soraya Palmer

8 reviews

bloodmaarked's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

aggressively mid. i won't remember this book by the end of the year.

✧ full review on my tumblr ✧

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Homophobia, Abortion, Cancer, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, and Transphobia

Moderate: Body horror, Medical content, Grief, Drug use, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Cursing

rltcoach's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

4.5

This book weaves the narrative of a family through generations and across continents. 
Parts of it took my breath away. 
Parts of it filled me with rage.
Parts of it made me blush. 
At least once, I was brought to tears, and at the end, I was left longing for another beginning. 

I'm so glad to have experienced this one, and am looking very much forward to Soraya Palmer's next book of tales! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

michaelttay's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

I went through every emotion multiple times!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Abortion

Minor: Rape, Terminal illness, Cancer, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Miscarriage

Take your time because it’s often heavy but the author does a great job of having lots of moments of humor and joy too.

valent1ne's review against another edition

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Racism

Moderate: Terminal illness and Rape

Minor: Cannibalism, Transphobia, and Incest

abbieh95's review against another edition

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Abortion

Moderate: Rape

poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Child abuse, Misogyny, Abortion, Rape, and Racism

introvertsbookclub's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

This story had so many elements that I found myself struggling to hold them all in my head, but in a novel about the malleability of stories and how they can be retold and take on new meanings depending on the teller, perhaps this slipperiness was intentional.

Stories from Trinidadian and Jamaican folklore were intertwined with the stories of a family, revealing the trauma that the parents had suffered and which shaped the household their children grew up in, and the danger of failing to learn from stories and experiences. Queer identities were integral to the family members’ stories, becoming part of the novel’s wider critique of culture lost to colonialism, white washing and gentrification. Separation from cultures, identities and homelands was a big part of the novel, and that might be another reason for the way it felt fractured. At heart this was a family drama, full of emotions that are messy and complex, while at the same time being  understandable and human.

The opening is a shocking introduction to a narrator that challenges the reader outright, and continues to tease and test throughout the novel. It is one of the most compelling parts of the novel and the feature that makes me want to reread this book already.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Rape

nini23's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The opening is smashing and I like the cheeky cynical omniscient narrator. However, this novel reads young and the narrative unravels about two-thirds in. The folklore of Anansi, Dglo, the Rolling Calf, soucouyant and douen intertwine to make sense of life for a pair of American sisters with Jamaican Trinidadian heritage growing up in a chaotic household. Their home life is marred by domestic violence and infidelity by their father Nigel on their mother Beatrice.  The narrator from Anansi Stories promises to make us not hate the father by telling us more backstory. I still dislike Nigel for abandoning his first family and mother.

Let's talk about mothers. Being lgtb or a blocked young writer does not give teens an excuse to not be there for your mother.

Especially if she is terminally ill with cancer and wants to spend more time with you

Teenage angst does not eclipse everything. A lot of dramatics with little substance. The daughters weren't there to support their mother, the sisters didn't prop each other up, I am really not sure where the empowerment is.

There are a substantial number of lgtb characters - Harold (Nigel's brother is homosexual {his death still doesn't explain why Nigel is an ass}), Beatrice (I'm guessing she's bisexual or the lesbian part was beaten out of her by her mother), Sasha (lesbian or trans, unclear), Shay (trans)

I like the anti-colonial points made. That scene at the Jamaican restaurant is electric! 👍to the Trinidadian English dialogue.

Overall, I much prefer When We Were Birds by
Ayanna Lloyd Banwo. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Rape, Transphobia, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Cancer, Colonisation, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Racism