Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

4 reviews

zosiablue's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This was one of those lovely surprises I put on hold 6 months ago & don't remember why, but I'm glad. It's a perfect slice in time (Ireland in the '70s), incredibly sexy and coming of age until it hits you that coming of age during The Troubles meant all that normal teenage fucking around had bigger implications. I got to one part towards the end and burst into tears because I should have seen it coming, the book warned me in a thousand ways, but the author's writing was so lush and cozy and subtle that I got complacent. Really beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, War, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Murder, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Sexism, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, and Murder

alisonannk's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Death, Grief, War, Alcohol, Classism, Sexism, Hate crime, and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy, Infertility, Miscarriage, Classism, Colonisation, and Bullying

mappy's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

Trespasses is more than the sum of its parts. Kennedy writes expertly, fittingly restrained in a context of conservatism and division; her work is detailed but not indulgent, and ultimately feels like a snapshot that transports the reader back in time to a Belfast torn violently between communities. The protagonist's claustrophobia does not extend to the reader - throughout, Kennedy provides the detail and feeds all of your senses, and then leaves you free to make your own assumptions. 

That may be the primary reason that it feels strange that this is marketed as a love story. More accurately, it feels like a story about loneliness and humanity, of how kindness can lead to condemnation, and how an individual's reach can't extend as far as their desires, their best intentions, or the influence of a society where power is outsourced and extremism prevails. 

The pace does feel slow but there's a shift in the final quarter that pays off and pulls everything together in a satisfying way. I look forward to reading more from this author as the prose, above all else, feels really impressive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, War, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexism

Minor: Death of parent and Pedophilia

lianne_rooney's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, War, Death of parent, Police brutality, and Grief