Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

33 reviews

deckleeditproof's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

Wildly anachronistic 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Sexual violence

kyriannaj's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Death of parent, and Hate crime

Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Addiction, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicide

Minor: Cancer

reddeddy's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Sexism, Racism, Abandonment, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Stalking, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Slavery, Blood, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Deportation, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Xenophobia

bookwormcat's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Racism, Death of parent, Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Biphobia, Abandonment, and Sexual violence

erinoconnor's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

A story of generational trauma with love at the center. It’s delicious and painful and almost like peeking into vignetted moments in these characters lives. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Gun violence, Grief, Slavery, Racism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Sexism, Alcoholism, Death, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Biphobia

stellahadz's review

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This is an incredible book. Although the topics of  intergenerational trauma and family secrets coming to light after the death of a relative may seem cliché on the surface, I thought that Black Cake's approach to them was unique and captivating. The characters were all interesting people, despite not always being likeable, and their stories pulled me along to see how they would unfold. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and timelines - these can be difficult to write well, but Wilkerson does a great job. I can't wait to read more of her work, and I absolutely recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Racism, Terminal illness, Biphobia, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Police brutality, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual harassment

ivi_reads_books's review

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

The book was very calming even though it depicted terrible things at times. I liked how the book offers a glimpse into life in the Caribbean and of Caribbeans emigrating to the UK in the 1970s and 80s. 
A family of people who all have secrets discover through flashbacks what had happened in their mothers life.
The end of the book felt a little rushed. Every character got their ending quite quickly. I would have preferred a more open ending

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts

tetrootz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual violence, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Body shaming, Colonisation, Lesbophobia, Terminal illness, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, Rape, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Fire/Fire injury

valleysoshady's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I should have known from the jacket that it would be tough to read after experiencing the loss of a parent. And it was. So many themes.  Emigration, community, belonging, racism, feminism, family dynamics, secrets, being different, and so much more.

It made me love my family more, consider my priviledge, reflect on my parents as immigrants alone in a new country, my heritage. 

I loved all of the characters, their flaws, their strength, their damage and their triumphs. I loved the vein of politics and social justice, ever present and gracefully intertwined with the plot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Violence, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Grief, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Medical trauma, Car accident, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Homophobia

qkitten's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, and Racism