Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

46 reviews

distancebetweenhunterandprey's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

The effects of trauma, racism, and parental expectations on a family, as seen through three generations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Murder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Police brutality, and Addiction

Moderate: Death

Minor: Rape

golelifsu'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Gore, Addiction, Cancer, Hate crime, and Gun violence

annecharlotte_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A story about stories, told and untold, that can keep us alive and also kill us. About relationships and family, and how far we're each ready to go for the ones we love. About loving against violence and abuse and death, and keeping each other alive. 
This novel is a thing of beauty. From the first few sentences you know you're in for something special: not only a powerful story but gorgeous writing. I was reminded of the best elements of Toni Morrison. 
The story is written from 3 points of view. Sometimes I had trouble remembering if it was the mother or the son speaking, so maybe there isn't enough difference in style. These shifts are still incredibly powerful and force us to empathise with Léonie, a violent, abusive and neglectful mother, but also a daughter, a sister, a lover, traumatised and addicted to drugs. The magical realism is injected gradually and amplifies into a terrible, spectacular climax, right at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Rape, Drug abuse, and Forced institutionalization

mia_merrill's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Murder, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Rape, Medical trauma, Slavery, Sexual assault, Medical content, Gun violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Animal death

fletches's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Racism

chandranolynne's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, and Vomit

ekmook's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

missbsbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Vomit

quicksilver's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

4.75

This book is lyrical and is so full of issues to unpack. The characters are rich and fully developed, with a real sense of connection. The book has JoJo at the heart but it builds the world of the living and the dead in a powerful way. I would love to read Kayla’s coming of age story. I would also read a whole book about the unburied dead, those who died without peace, and their life straddling the spirit world and the land of living. 

I think I loved its strong sense of place most and what it means to belong is threaded throughout. The natural elements and how it ties to the theme of nature vs. nurture was extremely impactful. The idea that nature heals and the importance of a balanced ecosystem is paralleled with the importance of a balanced internal world. I could read this over again. 

This intergenerational saga is also key - this novel really brings Southern rural black life to light in a way I haven’t seen before, while exploring the theme of multiracial children and how they find their place in that backdrop. 

The descriptions are dynamic: they made me sad and made me hopeful and taught me some perspective on common themes. The dynamic of struggle in relationships and the emotions people feel but don’t speak are laid out for examination. 

It was a good read, deserving of all the praise heaped on it. Why are you still reading this? Go get your hands on it and read it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, and Police brutality

Moderate: Addiction, Violence, Toxic friendship, Rape, Physical abuse, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, and Drug abuse

caprivoyant's review against another edition

3.5

Ouch. This book hurt to read.

I just... where's the child neglect content warning? I'll just lump it under child abuse. Yeeks.

Was it beautifully written? 100%
Did I think it was a beautifully crafted novel? Definitely.
Would I ever recommend it to anyone else? Probably not.

I'm gonna go journal. Or do some inner-child work. Or... something.

Ow.


⚠️ PS: the police brutality CW below has to do with slavery-like conditions and punishments (whipping, for example) in a prison. That was the best CW I had for it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Vomit, Drug use, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Racism, Violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Rape