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Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Religious bigotry
Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Pregnancy, Abandonment
But again, that's kind of the point. This isn't supposed to be an easy read. It's horrifying, but it's meant to be because Morrison wants to depict how intergenerational trauma and internalized racism have affected the Black community. So for that reason, I found this hard to rate. In terms of getting its message across, I give this book 5 stars. But I just hated this experience of reading this so much (seriously, watch out for all the content warnings) that I can't really rate it higher.
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide, Excrement
I can see why white people are so disturbed by it. *I* am disturbed by it and I was prepared (somewhat) for controversial issues.
When I sit with and look past my discomfort.... what is underneath that is wonderment that white children are so shielded from the horrors black children are exposed to regularly.* I can see why white parents are so reactive.... if their white children had any idea what their black friends, teammates, frenemies, etc had to live with, it would shatter everything their mostly-white schools, churches, sports teams, etc were trying to teach them about the world and their place in it.
I do recommend this to my white friends because I believe it is equally valuable to any non-fiction antiracist book when it comes to challenging racism. And it is a beautiful work on its own. Just be prepared to sit with your discomfort.
*One of the recurring themes in the book is sexual abuse. I feel the need to give a disclaimer that sexual abuse is absolutely not a racial issue, but rather an issue children in general are exposed to. Part of the author's overall goal is to speak to the lives of children and their inherent vulnerability.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Minor: Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Excrement, Vomit, Abandonment
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Sexism, Excrement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Classism
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Classism