Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

14 reviews

dannb's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

As an American, this was a difficult couple of weeks to be reading this… takes place in the ‘60s-‘70s… written in the late ‘80s… and still so much the same. 

Rhodesia (aka Zambia and Zimbabwe)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder and Misogyny

elo_k's review

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting

common_household_mom's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Colonisation, and Classism

dannythestreet's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I find it interesting that we barely get to hear the main character's point of view, her thoughts or feelings. She is mostly just describing things as they are. I think it's characteristic of the way she was brought up, taught not to be a burden, to obey and do as told without complaining or thinking too hard about it. As a contrast we have Nyasha (the best character in the book) who is being endlessly abused by her father, yet she cannot keep quiet, refuses to be "good".  What's happening to her at the end is heartbreaking yet unfortunately not surprising, he is a victim of this system same as all of them are.

Overall, the book offers some helpful insight into life in Zimbabwe, blackness, womanhood, poverty, education, family relationship and more

It's not my favourite book but definitely worth a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy

agnela's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

olivier_d_ace's review against another edition

reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Self harm

ruthmoog's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

5.0

I loved Tambudzai!!! This book deals with challenging themes yet it's heartening and enjoyable. Through the experience of women in Tambus life, and their relationships with men and  societies that favour men, Tambu narrates her aging and education from the late 60s onwards as a teen.
I thought it was just brilliant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Pregnancy

lushani's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, and Colonisation

Minor: Slavery, Excrement, and Pregnancy

melli's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

lara_bk's review

challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Pregnancy, and Colonisation