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bookphile's reviews
982 reviews
The Ugly Cry by Danielle Henderson
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
TW: physical abuse, sexual abuse/molestation of a minor, child abuse, child abandonment, heavy drug use, depression, suicide
CW: smoking, child neglect, mental illness, swearing
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Enjoyed this story overall. It was interesting and well written.
However, I feel like the author - possibility deliberately - never really went into too much detail about a single topic, so even after reading a whole book about her childhood and teenage years I feel like I don't know much about her. I understand in part it's because she probably doesn't want to talk too much about certain topics. She'll sort of mention those things of hand and then move on to a completely different and light hearted topic. She does mention that her mother's boyfriend used to beat her and molested her frequently, but she doesn't talk about it afterwards. She does this a lot, she drops information about something terrible that happened and then not really talk about, at least not directly. For example, she does talk later on about severely depressed and suicidal as a teenager, which you can guess happens because of all the compounded trauma that she never got to deal with or even discuss with anyone.
Also, this is not me saying she should have gone into detail discussing these things. Nor did I wish for her to go into graphic detail. It's just sometimes I felt frustrated at how she would state that something terrible happened without much preamble and then not discuss anything that happened afterwards.
I also wished that she would let us know what happened with her mother. Did she just stay with that asshole and raise two kids with him, or more? Did she ever know what he did to her daughter? She knew about the physical abuse, but I have to wonder if she knew he was sexually abusing her daughter to and if she had the gall to do nothing about it. I know I don't really deserve answers to these questions and Henderson doesn't have to give anyone answers. It's just something that I would have wanted more exploration on.
Overall, it was a great memoir. Heartbreaking, but also funny in a way, providing a window into her life, while still maintaining some privacy by telling us only what she wished to share and nothing more.
CW: smoking, child neglect, mental illness, swearing
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Enjoyed this story overall. It was interesting and well written.
However, I feel like the author - possibility deliberately - never really went into too much detail about a single topic, so even after reading a whole book about her childhood and teenage years I feel like I don't know much about her. I understand in part it's because she probably doesn't want to talk too much about certain topics. She'll sort of mention those things of hand and then move on to a completely different and light hearted topic. She does mention that her mother's boyfriend used to beat her and molested her frequently, but she doesn't talk about it afterwards. She does this a lot, she drops information about something terrible that happened and then not really talk about, at least not directly. For example, she does talk later on about severely depressed and suicidal as a teenager, which you can guess happens because of all the compounded trauma that she never got to deal with or even discuss with anyone.
Also, this is not me saying she should have gone into detail discussing these things. Nor did I wish for her to go into graphic detail. It's just sometimes I felt frustrated at how she would state that something terrible happened without much preamble and then not discuss anything that happened afterwards.
I also wished that she would let us know what happened with her mother. Did she just stay with that asshole and raise two kids with him, or more? Did she ever know what he did to her daughter? She knew about the physical abuse, but I have to wonder if she knew he was sexually abusing her daughter to and if she had the gall to do nothing about it. I know I don't really deserve answers to these questions and Henderson doesn't have to give anyone answers. It's just something that I would have wanted more exploration on.
Overall, it was a great memoir. Heartbreaking, but also funny in a way, providing a window into her life, while still maintaining some privacy by telling us only what she wished to share and nothing more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, and Dementia
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
This book is fascinating. It explores so many interesting topics and themes, everything from race, prejudice, cities, family, love, friendship, what it means to be from somewhere, what it means to belong somewhere. It does start off a bit confusing, but as with all Jemisin books it's a puzzle that you have to stick with until the picture starts coming together and then you can't put it down.
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
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? Yes
This book is fascinating. It explores so many interesting topics and themes, everything from race, prejudice, cities, family, love, friendship, what it means to be from somewhere, what it means to belong somewhere. It does start off a bit confusing, but as with all Jemisin books it's a puzzle that you have to stick with until the picture starts coming together and then you can't put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse and Abortion
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I wasn't really prepared for what this book was about. Actually I didn't know what this book was about. I just saw my friends getting it and jumped on the train. Crying in H Mart is first and foremost about grief and loss, as Michelle Zauner explores her relationship with her mother from her childhood to adulthood, the ups and down, their uneasy relationship in Zauner's teen years, the truce in her twenties, and then the devastating cancer diagnosis and her mother's sickness, decline, and death. The book does get mildly graphic in descriptions of illness. I hope writing about it helped Zauner gain some peace and helped her further in her healing journey. I hadn't cried the way this book made me cry in a long time. It made me miss my mom, even though I saw her just the other day and she's in perfect health. I did relate to Zauner relationship with her mother, though mine was a little easier than hers. Overall, a great memoir, if more than a little heartbreaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Death of parent
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I've been wanting to read lighthearted sweet romances for awhile now due to the mental funk I'd been in, and finally bought a few, including this one so that I could go on sprint reading them. Chose this one mostly based on the good reviews.
While I enjoyed this novel, it was sweet and romantic, it wasn't exactly fun or lighthearted. It deals with a lot of mental health issues and hereditary terminal illness. In my opinion it was handled well and with care, but it was a heavy read at times.
I enjoyed the romance as well, but it got a little too sacharine for me by the middle and entirely too much by the end. It went from being a cutesy next door romance to being all about soul mates and fate and not being able to live without the other -- when one partner has ASL.
So while it was good, it wasn't entirely what I was in a mood for which I'm afraid soured by reading a bit.
While I enjoyed this novel, it was sweet and romantic, it wasn't exactly fun or lighthearted. It deals with a lot of mental health issues and hereditary terminal illness. In my opinion it was handled well and with care, but it was a heavy read at times.
I enjoyed the romance as well, but it got a little too sacharine for me by the middle and entirely too much by the end. It went from being a cutesy next door romance to being all about soul mates and fate and not being able to live without the other -- when one partner has ASL.
So while it was good, it wasn't entirely what I was in a mood for which I'm afraid soured by reading a bit.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Grief, and Death
Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
- 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? No
It's hard to say I love this story because it was difficult to read. But watching Ama fight back, even when having to make herself be small to stay safe, was heartening. Alone, without having anyone to rely on, or help her really, she slowly pieces herself back together until she finds the truth of herself. The damsel saves herself in this one ;)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
This book was unexpected in a lot of ways, but mostly because I was surprised by the heavy focus on Mav being a single father. It was certainly interesting, especially considering all the different conflicts and issues that happen to him constantly. He's dealing with everything from poverty, to gang related ties, not having any help from the mother of his child, flunking school, losing his best friend, not having a father at home, of course, girl related issues. Definitely recommend if you enjoyed The Hate U Give.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You know, it's been a long time since I've fallen in love with a book, and finally it happened again. I've heard so many good things about The House in the Cerulean Sea, and I was happy to find out that it was well deserved. It's heartwarming, and funny, has the best characters who are flawed and mischievous and kind and deserve the best, and best of all it made me cry, not from sadness, but from happiness, which I don't think has ever happened before. There's so much love and kindness and hope in this book, and it's about family, found family, because you don't have to be related to be family.
Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
It's funny, it's lighthearted, it's everything I needed to make me laugh and forget the world for awhile.