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badmom's reviews
495 reviews
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.25
A fascinating look at contemporary society through the lens of a Black father in Manhattan. The narration moves from relatively benign storyteling - observations of people’s lives, how they connect to others - into a dark, chaotic exploration of gender roles, societal expectations, & postpartum depression.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Violence, Blood, Child death, Pregnancy, Gore, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Gaslighting, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Self harm
The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
4.75
This novelized biography of the first Chinese American film star Anna May Wong is engaging & lovely, imagining the reflections of this woman from her childhood in LA through her adult life. There are specific events from US history entwined with her experiences of racism, bigotry, and misogyny that have not entirely changed in Hollywood - this story serves to remind us of how much Wong accomplished in her too-brief career & lifetime, mostly through her intelligence & strength of character, with some help from privileged insiders. I appreciate the tender attention given to all of the cultural details Wong honored & incorporated into her life and work through the years, as well as examining the impacts of her family on her decisions.
Some anecdotes about ger connections & relationships felt too abbreviated or unfinished though with a life as rich as Anna May Wong’s, we need volumes to explore everything more thoroughly.
Some anecdotes about ger connections & relationships felt too abbreviated or unfinished though with a life as rich as Anna May Wong’s, we need volumes to explore everything more thoroughly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Alcohol, Classism, and Alcoholism
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, Suicide, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexism
While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Abrams’s writing style is engaging - I was immediately drawn into the story of this young law clerk struggling to make her way in D.C. while maintaining her integrity. She and the other characters are plausibly outlined if a bit cardboard & stereotypical for the Legal Thriller genre. The plot quickly generates too many complicated threads to follow easily though; I appreciate that the author consulted experts in the areas she covered but they still felt a bit too convoluted (and the resolutions too easily made) to thoroughly enjoy in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Drug use
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Dementia, Medical content, Sexism, Violence, Abandonment, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Colonisation, Racial slurs, Deportation, and Xenophobia
Minor: Chronic illness, Trafficking, Abortion, Alcohol, and Death
You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir by Maggie Smith
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.75
While reading this book, I felt like I was involved in a series of conversations with a close friend. By arranging the ‘chapters’ (some are just a sentence or two) not in chronological order but more stream-of-consciousness or relating to a previous thought, Smith makes it feel like short talks over tea. She’ll start in the middle of an anecdote and fill in details as needed; we feel invited into her mind and heart yet she takes care to preserve the privacy of others, for the most part. Her focus stays mainly on how to process hurt and move forward, not on blame or bitterness. And Smith’s command of poetic language translates beautifully into memoir making it a wholly satisfying, cathartic experience.
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
As always, Blume beautifully captures the lives of people & eras using historical events as a central focus. In this case it is the series of plane crashes in Elizabeth, New Jersey in the early 1950s, when the main character is a young woman navigating adolescence along with the complications & mysteries of family relationships. Blume develops even the smallest side stories into points of meaningful connection, adding to the richness of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Classism and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Eating disorder, and Religious bigotry
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Beyond the blithe misogyny, bigotry, racism, homophobia, classism, and fatphobia/bodyshaming, the writing is [presumably unintentionally] comical & the mystery is profoundly convoluted and ultimately uninteresting. Two stars for the classic quick-paced clever detective banter and unexpected, saucy sex scene. Would rather read a novel about Sam Spade’s secretary Effie Perine, frankly - the extra half star is for Hammett hinting at some substance for her character.
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A lushly written fictionalization about the Mirabal sisters, legendary figures in Dominican Republican history. The chapters alternate from one sister’s point of view & third person narration over the course of a few decades; we are given intimate insights to the thoughts & choices of each sister - from religion to politics to love & loyalty. The mix of historical fact and imagined lives makes for a richly interesting, satisfying, magical read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexism, Grief, Police brutality, Classism, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Car accident, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Death, Infertility, Confinement, and Colonisation
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Robinson is straightforward & blunt in her observations of life for a young Black woman in America. It is irreverent & hilarious, and hugely useful for anyone [white people] wondering how this society looks & feels for many.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Sexual content, Cultural appropriation, and Body shaming
The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-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