Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Bad Girls by Camila Sosa Villada

23 reviews

reflectiverambling_nalana's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This story is one of perseverance in continual strife, of finding moments of levity, and finding yourself. While some may find this to be too blunt, too intense, too dreary, the sad truth is that there are some journeys that seem like they are constantly uphill. This narrative is a constant weight, a constant shadow. And yet it is slightly inspiring in that in spite of all of the trauma faced by all of these characters, of all the compartmentalization they're forced to put on their brains just to keep moving-- they find a place to be, mostly, to keep taking that step. It is by no means hopeful. It leaves you feeling heavy and hurt. But it makes you want to yearn for everyone remaining to find a light. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Body shaming, Blood, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, and Grief

Moderate: Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Drug use, and Incest

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
 

 “Something began in the dark. I’m talking about my dark now, I’m talking about myself. I’m talking about the feeling of being force-fed fistfuls of dirt by God himself.” 

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Sena Bryer, who did a fantastic job. I highly recommend that format!

I recently made a video on why I don't need on-page or extremely detailed rape scenes, and while there are post-rape and mentions of rape in this book, they are not gratuitous or exploitative. I genuinely felt like CSV took great care in both forcing the audience to bear witness to the violence that the travestis endured every day by everyone, whether it was by romantic partners, Johns, the police, or simply society at large, AND ensuring to not cause more harm by being unnecessarily graphic.

Through vignettes, we follow Camila from childhood to young adulthood, as she comes into herself and inadvertently finds a new family of sex workers in Sarmiento Park, in the heart of Córdoba, Argentina. She finds care with Auntie Encarna, who is 178 years old, and their home of travestis finds a baby, whom they call "Sparkle in her eye". These women also encounter headless men who return from a war being shunned by society. The magical realism is quite fun, a bit strange, and honestly provided a much-needed levity to a sometimes-heavier narrative. Camila also is both deeply unserious and funny, even though her story does carry so much pain and sadness. 

Camila went through so much in this book, from parental abuse, to police manipulation and bribery, to the grief of losing friends to suicide. However, she continues on, and aims to live a truthful existence, rather than hating herself how society wants her to. Though she still experiences deep loss and heartache, Camila's story is one that thoughtfully humanizes people who society wants to villainize and further marginalize. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Murder, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Suicide, Sexual violence, and Rape

solusipse's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Classism, Suicide, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Outing, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Alcohol, Body shaming, Hate crime, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Deadnaming, Drug use, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Murder, and Domestic abuse

waduwu's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, and Physical abuse

bluemoony_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Es un libro hermoso y fuerte que representa muchas cosas. Entre ellas, un acercamiento a una parte de mi país que yo no conozco. De una forma hermosa y desgarradora, este libro cumple una de las mayores funciones de la literatura: comunicar.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Alcohol, Drug use, and Transphobia

Minor: Deadnaming and Medical trauma

nathwani's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

I wonder whether the translation impacted my enjoyment. It’s beautifully written but I felt quite detached from the narrative at times. The pacing felt a bit wrong in the middle of the book, but a strong start and end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Physical abuse

nesblablabla's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad fast-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? No

4.0

It is a generous testimony. There’s a lot of violence and cruelty, but also love, desire, affection, strength and sorority. Well written, so poetic; with some magic realism doses. A must read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Bullying, Homophobia, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

megansoetaert's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

loved this book very much. the subject matter ranged from dark to joyous, and sometimes both at once. i appreciated this look into argentine transwomens’ lives & i’d love to learn more of the author’s story—how much of this was truly fiction? thinking of my trans sisters today and every day.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicide

lidia7's review against another edition

dark 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Ableism, Child death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, and Racism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Medical content, Vomit, Abandonment, Cancer, Deadnaming, Excrement, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Animal death, Bullying, and Self harm

maxgdy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Abandonment, Cursing, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Bullying, Alcohol, Outing, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Suicide