Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

84 reviews

bri_14's review against another edition

emotional tense

5.0

This book felt so important and balanced. The comparison between both leading ladies and how they dealt with love—with men and India—was done so well. One thing Smita and Meena had in common was they both were risk takers, punishment be damned. But I was gettin real annoyed with Ammi being so rude! She couldn’t get over

the loss of her son

Meena could! Very selfish even if it was rooted in valid emotions. 

I think it said A LOT about herd mentality esp among men. The amount of ppl that witnessed or participated in the violence was ridiculous. Only to wanna cower down years later and be sympathetic. The damage was done! And for Meena’s village to be ruled by Rupal was ridiculous. No one man should have all that pull over people. The fact that he said he had a phone with a direct line to God should have made these people wake up! He was taking advantage of their culture so bad. 

Despite the terribleness, the tender moments of Meena/Abdul and Smita/Mohan were so so good. Both really encapsulated the point of this book to me. In spite of the darkness their home brought there was a spark of light. In a twisted way Meena

might’ve been better off reunited with Abdul instead of with their daughter bc she didn’t have the resources or privilege to protect everybody. But her final stand was really sad

It wasn’t a main focus but it does bring up a good point of when involvement teeters past education and dips towards trauma porn. These are real people not a story that’ll get you front page headlines and awards. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Islamophobia, and Misogyny

Minor: Death of parent

akia_nanashi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Torture, Death, and Racism

avajane02's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

An absolutely heartbreaking look into the class and gender divides in India from the perspective of a

Muslim

Indian-American reporter who returns to India to cover a story in place of her white American friend/coworker, who is recovering from surgery. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Classism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Misogyny, Hate crime, Grief, Violence, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Sexual assault

wwsimon93's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Violence, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent

muse692's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Islamophobia

Moderate: Racism, Medical content, Death of parent, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

leortal's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Death of parent, Classism, and Death

gold_star_reader's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

lyndsay_bibliophile's review against another edition

informative sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Overall, "Honor” is a powerful and thought-provoking story of honor, justice, and the strength of the human spirit. It’s a story that will stay with you, prompting self-reflection and sparking important conversations.

The book excelled in its raw representation of the struggle for justice, forcing me to confront uncomfortable truths about societal blind spots.

However, Smita's character left me conflicted. While Umrigar captures her initial journalistic detachment really well, Smita's lack of empathy at times felt jarring. I wished for a deeper connection to her.

On a personal note, Mohan's urge to defend India resonated deeply. It made me reflect on how we often apologize or justify aspects of our own cultures or the actions of others due to a misplaced sense of responsibility.

However, some crucial details of the story sometimes felt neglected and exploring them would have added depth to the narrative. Similarly, the abrupt shift from tragedy to a budding love story in the final chapters felt disjointed.

Despite these minor drawbacks, "Honor" remains a compelling read. Umrigar's writing is beautiful and insightful, spotlighting the complex realities of social injustice and female resilience. The lingering questions and impactful lessons learned make this book a worth reading.

I recommend this book to those who appreciate complex stories with themes of cultural clashes, legal drama, and a fight for justice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault

fruitbat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Murder, Sexism, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Torture, Racism, Death, Religious bigotry, and Hate crime