Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

144 reviews

readinglist84's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder

A fiction story so well written and researched it feels like you're reading a biography.

pbandjane_library's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Murder

yeahnaar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

3.5

At times the book verges on trauma porn, and provides a perspective of Latin America that is violent and full of the worst of that place. However, it is sympathetic to the plight of migrants, and despite the trauma porn aspect it humanises migrants and shows the difficulties they may endure in search for a better life 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder

kellycassan's review against another edition

3.5

Some parts seem highly fictionalized and there are problematic stereotypes. I recommend Solito instead of this book if you are looking for a well written, accurate, heart wrenching story about the journey of undocumented immigrants.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual harassment

charitygholland's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

Not written by a Hispanic author

beth_simmons's review against another edition

challenging dark informative 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? No

4.5

I found this book fascinating and challenging, intense and disturbing. I couldn't put it down, but I often wanted to. This one will stick with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit and Deportation

clasu's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, and Sexual assault

hcop's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

jenniferbowman's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Minor: Cancer and Cursing

lmkennedy's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

2.0

I picked this book up because it was immediately available on Libby and had such a high star rating. However, this book is receiving only 2 stars from me, not because I didn’t enjoy it but because by the end I knew something was amiss and in doing so looked into the author. I find it alarming when people choose to try and represent a community they are not a part of, even if it is done in earnest; simply because it leads to stereotypes and misinformation. Cummins writes an extremely dramatic telling of migration out of Mexico to escape cartel violence, and yet is not Mexican, nor a migrant. While I have no doubt doing the proper work to write a story that isn’t your own, credit and compensation are due to those that provide that insight. While it sounds as though Cummins gives minimal credit to those she interviewed, it does not go beyond that. Migration stories ARE dangerous for a number of reasons and taking people’s stories to retell them in a fake, overblown manner doesn’t help with the problem, nor does it help those who provided you the insight you needed to craft the story. 

This book had me often recalling the plot line of yellow face. There may be some people out there thankful for the representation regardless of who it comes from, but when it ultimately comes down to it, someone with real life experiences, even if it just having lived in Mexico (Cummins has not) can write a better, more truthful, narrative about migrants; one that likely deserves the money and press this one did. 

I am not going to list book suggestions in place of this book, because many latinx authors and reviewers already have but I highly suggest going that direction if you are interested in this material. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, and Deportation

Moderate: Body horror