Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

9 reviews

plumpaperbacks's review

challenging mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Though this was a good book, one I did enjoy reading, it’s also one that seems weaker as I continue to think about it. What made for an intriguing premise was, unfortunately, a rather anticlimactic story. There was a whole lot of talking about not a lot of doing, and come the end of the book, the explanations for everything felt flimsy. Maybe it’s on me for wanting a thriller from what’s clearly a mystery, but I feel like mysteries should still have some elements of drama and intensity. I didn’t get that here.

I did like the characters, though, and there’s just… There’s something uniquely compelling to me, as a queer person, about queer historical fiction. No matter how difficult it can be to read, to see the horrifying ways our predecessors were treated and the heartbreaking lengths they had to go to for their own safety, there’s something to be said about seeing that we’ve always been here, and we’ve always persisted. That’s what these characters do, too—persist.

So, yeah. Some things worked for me in this book, others didn’t, but overall, I did like it, and I do want to read the second book. I want to see more of Andy and the Lavender House family, and hopefully, I’ll really like it.

Representation:

• gay protagonist
• Mexican lesbian side character
• bisexual Jewish side character
• sapphic side characters
• achillean side characters (one is also Filipino)
• sapphic side couples (f/f)
• achillean side couple (m/m)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Death and Murder

Minor: Religious bigotry and Confinement

All things tagged graphic are explicitly on-page, in the form of various homophobic slurs, the protagonist being severely beaten for being queer, and the protagonist thinking numerous times about a suicide plan. He never does follow through, but it’s there all the same. Things tagged minor are in relation to a side character’s backstory, briefly mentioned in one chapter near the end of the book.

1undercover's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

I loved this book. Excellent mystery. Competent but human detective. Interesting characters and a message about family and found family. The homophobia is tough though - watch out. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Suicide, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Hate crime

larareads's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Lesbophobia, Violence, and Homophobia

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Grief, and Animal death

smalika's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Suicide, Animal death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Confinement

leanniefae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Violence, Alcohol, Biphobia, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, and Outing

Minor: Blood, Animal death, Gun violence, Grief, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicide, War, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, and Cursing

ssmylie's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

This is how I would sell this book:
Do you like a mystery where a very wealthy person in charge of a soap empire suddenly dies and it looks like an slip and fall accident?
What if the wealthy person lived with a family of characters and staff and all of them are suspects?
What if the story was about about the wife of the wealthy person who hiring a private detective and makes him lives in their home to solve the murder?

WELL YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK! (The audiobook is sooooooo good. Highly recommend it)
It's a popcorn thriller that takes place in the 1950s and focuses on the struggle of queer people to create a life after being outed; the violence that they have to endure from family, coworkers, and strangers; chosen family; and a murder!

I could gush about this book all day because it was a good thriller, kind of predictable, but an easy light read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Police brutality, Outing, Religious bigotry, and Violence

brewingespresso's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

This book is a great idea in theory, but it just was not my cup of tea. I felt like the story was rushed, I felt like all we focused on was how everyone was queer and not on the actual mystery itself at all. Which isn’t necessarily bad, but it just didn’t play out in a very convincing way. The reveal at the end was so incredibly quick it was really underwhelming to be honest. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, and Mental illness

foreverinastory's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

Thank you to Bookish First for a physical ARC and MBC for a finished copy of the book in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.

Wow loved this!! What a book.

Lavender House is a 1950’s murder mystery. Evander Mills has been recently outed and forced to leave his job as a detective. Andy is struggling with his new reality. When he’s approached by Pearl who has a job for him, he begrudgingly accepts. Then he arrives at the estate, Lavender House, and he’s shocked to see queer people living authentically. As Andy continues to investigate, Lavender House changes his mind about many things, but will he catch the killer before he can open himself up to a new idea of life?

I loved this book!! I need it to be a series because I am so ready to jump in with Andy as he investigates crimes for queer victims. This book was incredibly gripping and while I didn’t always agree with Andy, I found his motives believable and poignant. Also who could I not love Andy, we share a name 😌. I listened to the audiobook through Libro FM and I cannot recommend the narrator enough. Vikas Adam also narrated parts of The Charm Offensive and A Dark & Hollow Star and is now officially on my favorite narrator list! Overall, I loved seeing this mystery unravel and I would highly recommend it! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Blood, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, Grief, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Violence, Alcohol, and Suicide

Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Biphobia, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Sexual content

patricktreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A dark murder mystery set in the 50’s that is rough and not happy or smooth. 

The twists in this were everything. The discussion of hard to acknowledge topics like homophobia and police brutality was also a very important and well felt piece. It was made a part of the story and not just a plot point on the side. 

Please not content warnings before reading. This mystery is deep and can be triggering. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Alcohol, Blood, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Violence, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship