Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara

34 reviews

ainsley's review against another edition

4.75

Absolutely brutal; functionally a sequel to King Leopold's Ghost. Yet another tale of horror that may have been avoided had the CIA not involved itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Slavery, Trafficking, Child abuse, and Child death

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Grief, and Rape

Minor: Alcoholism and Animal cruelty

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

devastating and so informative. free the congo. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Death, Slavery, Violence, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Colonisation, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking

ecn's review against another edition

5.0

Mandatory reading!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Child abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, Sexism, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Body horror, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Cancer, Death of parent, and Genocide

scmiller's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Trafficking, Classism, Confinement, Death, Torture, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Violence, and Gun violence

Moderate: Blood, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Genocide, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Miscarriage

Minor: Car accident and Animal death

ekmartin's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Violence, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Classism, Child abuse, Slavery, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Medical trauma, Violence, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Medical content, Racism, Rape, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

bexs848's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book encouraged me to think more critically about what and how I consume in Western civilization. Extremely informative and sad, and very well-written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Grief

Moderate: Racism, Colonisation, Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual assault

shay43geek's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, Blood, Colonisation, and Death

Moderate: Violence, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

drummond's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Death, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Murder, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Colonisation, Slavery, Police brutality, Gun violence, Grief, Child abuse, Animal death, Violence, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse

jasisreading's review against another edition

While I think the connection the author makes between the previous exploitation of the Congo and the current exploitation, is a solid base for a novel it does not go far enough. I wish there had been more interrogation about the companies themselves and what they have been doing. Allowing the interrogation to be interwoven with the personal anecdotes would have been a more impactful. As it is, the writing feels more akin for a long form journal essay than full-length novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Classism, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Child death, and Colonisation

Moderate: War and Medical trauma

had to DNF when I got the line “While violence is not the answer, I understand why…” when talking about the residents fighting back against the direct harm a mining company was causing them. Like?? That was a takeaway????

sarahdkdc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

4.25

I think this book was written with a lot of compassion and care. I really like that Kara mentioned the privilege he has by way of his appearance, and how that aided him in his studies in the Congo. I also appreciate that Kara expresses at the end of the book that the people who should be telling these stories are Congolese people themselves. I guess we have to start somewhere. I hope Kara continues his trips to the Congo and tries to help amplify Congolese voices.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Child death, Death, and Genocide

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, and Blood