Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

6 reviews

jreads2me's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Very engaging book. Makes you think. Different perspectives are written well. Cried many times throughout the book. Don’t look at chapter names in the TOC, has minor spoilers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Body shaming, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Death of parent, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

h_tappy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Misogyny and Drug use

amy959's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

fiainkvinna's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Alcohol, and Adult/minor relationship

shlelbylyn's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Gun violence

maddys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I don't know how to rate this one. While the content of this book is disturbing, the structure and Greenwood's writing and storytelling is beautiful and gripping; I could not put this book down once I started it. Greenwood uses multiple POVs to tell this story and provide different perspectives. This serves to not only give the reader a glimpse into Wavy and Kellen's insight (the two main characters who form a problematic, disturbing, and co-dependent "romantic" relationship), it also provides readers with a semblance of relief through characters like Aunt Brenda and, lesser so, Butch and minor characters who show some concern in their narrative about Wavy and Kellen. 

Greenwood's note to readers at the end is worth reading and provides valuable context; this book was loosely based on her own childhood. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things explores important topics such as consent, poverty, and misogyny and domestic violence, and highlights the failures of individuals and systems in Wavy's life that led her as a child to only feel safe and secure with a man 10+ years older than her. While we can be (rightfully) angry and disturbed at Wavy and Kellen's relationship, we should point that same anger toward the teachers who turned a blind eye to Wavy, the social workers who failed to properly assess Wavy and Donal's safety, and to Aunt Brenda who sensed their was something seriously wrong but alerted no authorities. Both Wavy and Kellen grew up in abusive homes where the appropriate love and support were never given or demonstrated to them. It is also implied that Kellen has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which can impair impulse control, understanding actions and their consequences, and judgment. 

This book is disturbing and not for everyone. This is not a romance. There is explicit child abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual) and the reading experiencing is frustrating and emotional. But the book itself - the writing, the storytelling, and the characters - is masterfully done, and I look forward to reading more from Greenwood. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death of parent