Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

40 reviews

adeanthefiend's review

adventurous challenging funny inspiring tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is a masterclass on New York as a city. The metaphysical battles, the conceptual weapons and the inclusion of lovecraftian villains!? Incredible. 

Also extremely interesting that the Lovecraftian monsters would take the form of racism. Very Lovecraft of them. 

Out of all the characters, I ended up loving Bronca the most. I feel she does the most out of all the characters, and has the most attitude which I love. Her history is rich, and her relationship with Veneza is sweet. 

Aislyn is the most frustrating character ever. She is the pinnacle of passive white *conservative* feminism which isn't ACTUALLY feminism but rightful caution and misandry that is created when dealing with the WORST kinds of men; conservatives. But, that kind of white conservative woman "feminism" (misandry) does NOT translate to empathy OR intersectionality. She was INFURIATING! 

Can not wait to dig into the sequel, and I hope Aislyn gets her ass handed to her, the bitchy little TRAITOR. 
(All racists are traitors to humanity. NK Jemisin is a genius) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault

lizsurber's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Islamophobia, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abortion, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, and Rape

purechaos's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexism, Xenophobia, Racism, Stalking, Violence, Misogyny, and Police brutality

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

jackolanterns_in_august's review

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Hate crime, Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Misogyny and Sexual assault

mags_'s review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Sexism

grimmarray's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Possibly one of the most interesting mixes of Lovecraftian horror and, to put it in simplest terms, identity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Racism

Moderate: Homophobia and Body horror

Minor: Classism and Injury/Injury detail

catastrophic's review

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.75

It's like Marvel but fantasy and set very firmly in the post-2020 culture wars. It has the Marvel elements of "the city is doomed if us team of ragtag heroes don't stop the big bad" but with incredible layers of Jemisin's nuance and rich characters. So evocative and descriptive, it feels impossible that she was able to describe the visuals so clearly with words. And very contemporary in a way no other works have yet captured. Slightly too Marvel and heroic at times 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Police brutality, Hate crime, Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Homophobia

samthereader's review

emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Racism, Homophobia, and Sexual harassment

jjstallone's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Cursing, Sexual harassment, and Police brutality

Minor: Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Ableism, Cannibalism, Homophobia, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Cancer, Deportation, Genocide, Misogyny, Abortion, Antisemitism, and Blood

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

I've always been in love with New York City so when I saw the cover for The City We Became and then read the blurb I knew instantly this was one I wanted to read. TCWB is a powerful and entertaining piece of urban speculative fiction/fantasy which takes multiple no holds barred punches at societies' issues leaving the reader with a lot to think about.

The world building and characterization are absolutely sensational. Jemisin's portrayal of each of the city's boroughs as humans with their own very unique personalities is absolutely spot on and so captivating and entertaining. It's hard not to be automatically drawn to some characters and then to take an immediate dislike to others. The people, culture and vibes of each individual borough are portrayed so well in their human form it's almost uncanny.

While I really enjoyed reading it and found it so hard to put it down, there were definitely sections where I did feel a little bit disconnected. Jemisin goes in hard repeatedly on so many issues such as prejudice, gentrification, racism, xenophobia and homophobia and while all her points raise fantastic questions for discussion at times due to the intensity and nature of her commentary it did become to feel a little preachy.

There's so much to unpack that I think maybe I would have enjoyed it more as a buddy read to have someone to bounce thoughts off of and to discuss themes with. However, overall I loved this book and its characters and I cannot to read The World We Make.

A captivating, gritty, speculative fantasy love letter to NYC with so much to discuss and ponder. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Classism, Hate crime, Violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Abortion