The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
clairew97's review against another edition
- 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
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
katiecat22's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Chronic illness
tina94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Chronic illness
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Abortion
dementiadalmavatai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
All of the stories in here deal with desire, pain, grief, love, family, and Christianity, and all of them do it brilliantly and beautifully. All of the characters are vivid and relatable - they are not without their flaws, in fact these flaws are often prominent in the stories, but they are portrayed with such compassion and humanity that you can't help but feel for them. Every story is unique but what unites them all is their exploration of how Black women navigate desire and pain, love and grief, often simultaneously.Â
Such a beautiful collection full of humanity, exploring the universally human desire to be loved.Â
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Racism
emliza's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Racism
rockyroadbutch's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Dementia, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
nsfonline's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, and Emotional abuse
hollyd19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was surprised (perhaps I shouldnât have been, given the word âsecretsâ in the title) by how heavily sex factored in nearly all the stories. It was never gratuitous or explicit, but it did play a much larger role than I had expected. Additionally, I had the impression that the collection would be more... fun? Honestly, for the most part I found it fairly bleak. Thatâs not to say it wasnât tender and at times funny, but most stories left me feeling rather melancholy. Each woman featured faces some significant strain â emotionally, relationally, etc â and I would have loved at least one story to be robustly joyful (the closest is How To Make Love to a Physicist). Finally, there is ample mention of church life & culture, but I wouldnât define any of the protagonists as âchurch ladies.â They are all church-lady-adjacent, but perhaps that was Philyawâs chosen device: a window into the lives of church ladies from those who are in some way outside the fold.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Sexual content, and Racism
Minor: Murder
sarahaf712's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Body shaming
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Dementia
Minor: Abortion, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Terminal illness