Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers

6 reviews

skudiklier's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.75

I'm worried I'm too emotionally invested at the moment to be writing this review; I don't know how to write about how this book made me feel without writing about the ending. I'll spoiler warning it at the end here, but just know that all spoilers in it are very vague.

Overall I liked this book. I knew absolutely nothing about it going in--not the premise, not the genre, nothing. I picked it solely based on the cover. Throughout the first half of it I just felt a sort of rising tension, as I waited for the shoe to drop. This book was well-written and while the ending devastated me, I don't think it should have been changed. 

This book makes me want to read more by this author, because I really liked how well it showed tiny social things that feel hard to capture/explain but can make a real impact on how a situation feels or a relationship progresses. Small things that Jean worries over momentarily, that just felt really well-done. 

Honestly the ending just is so sad. I wasn't prepared. I wish I'd paid more attention to the dates so that I could have seen it coming. It makes sense as a story but I'm just too close to these characters right now, I feel too sad for them. It made it so I couldn't give this book five stars.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Death, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Dementia, Infidelity, Medical content, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content

Minor: Lesbophobia, Cancer, and Incest

train accident

teaselkie's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Abortion, Infertility, and Rape

Minor: Death of parent, Body shaming, Sexism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

alisonannk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Abortion, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Body shaming, Dementia, Outing, and Toxic relationship

phoevincent's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Chronic illness and Infidelity

Minor: Death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexism

literaryelephant's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.0

Though an easy and compelling read when I needed one, books set in this era that don't challenge or even acknowledge the inherent sexism/homophobia/etc. of the time period don't tend to work for me. My expectations were probably off from the start, as I'd assumed this story would focus on the virgin birth investigation when really that's only a small piece of a larger domestic drama; I'm less interested in reading about marital issues, personally. Even so, I might have had a fine time with this book if I'd been able to sympathize with the MC, but unfortunately I found her questionable treatment of someone else's trauma and lesbian relationship untenable. Additionally, while I like the idea of the controversial ending, it does not feel cohesive with the rest of the story, to the extent that both pieces detract from each other. A gripping read for the right reader perhaps, but I wish this spot on the Women's Prize longlist had gone to another book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Chronic illness, Death, and Infidelity

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, and Rape

kirstyplumb's review against another edition

emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Homophobia, Infertility, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia