Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

30 reviews

felishacb's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Dementia, Alcohol, Miscarriage, and Abortion

lexi_bear's review against another edition

dark emotional funny fast-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? Yes

4.0

Lovely mix of short stories. I especially love how the author explores different relationships between women like mother daughter, friend to friend, and sister to sister. My fave was the story about peach cobbler. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content

shoohoob's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Found this book randomly through my storygraph recommendations and I was absolutely floored! I’d happily read a full length story for each of the stories in this book. 

Some of the stories did feel a little unfinished when they ended. I feel like all of them could have used a little more closure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cursing, Dementia, and Infidelity

katndrsn's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Child death, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Child abuse and Gun violence

sashawins's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? No

5.0

📚Book Review📚

Rate: 4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

🎵songs for book

"I hate you so much right now" Kelis

" I want you " Ciara

"Giving you the best that I got" Anita Baker

" Rich spirit" Kendrick Lamar

📚 Quotes

" Mother's raise their daughters and love their sons."

" You can't save me, I am not in peril."

" Friendship is not the same as history, just as bone is not the same as marrow"

📚 Review

Packed full of short stories that left me in reflection mood. Dessha Philyaw as a way to pull you in viscerally to each story. I laughed out loud, I cringed, shook my head, and my heart ache for majority of the characters.

Discuss themes of childhood trauma, love, friendship, death & grief, fear, daughter & mother dynamics, male predators, sexuality, self love,  colorismand how the Black church can cause harm. 

📚Favorite Stories:

●" When Eddie Levart Comes"

●" Instructions for married Christian Husbands"

●" Eula"

●"Peach clobber"

●"Jael"

📚 When Eddie Levart Comes--

I want to focus on the quote, " Mother's raise daughters and love their sons" as seen in the story When Eddie Levart Comes, in this story --Daughter cares for her mom who has dementia.  She cares for her mom 24/7 even though there is unresolved issues. Daughter still seeks the love of her mother she never received as a child. She does her best caring for her mother's needs even though her mother doesn't recognize her. Her babt bother, Rico, though hardly there, is the apple of his mommas eye--she recognized him with no issues.

I truly felt sad for Daughter-- not only did she need a true vacatio from caregiver role, she needed therapy for this childhood traumas.

What I learned from this story is to speak and pure love into your children. Childhood trauma is real and have lasting effects in adulthood❤️.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

hullomoon's review against another edition

hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.75

I love how some of these are interconnected and I appreciate the intergenerational aspect in many of the stories. I couldn't put this book down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Dementia

Moderate: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse and Cancer

clairew97's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Child death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

jodierose14's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

kaimetcalfe's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcohol, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Infidelity, Sexism, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

lilybearillini3's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Beautifully written and every story is immersive and compelling.  It's hard to pick a favorite.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death of parent, Homophobia, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Abortion