Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

La artista de henna: Una mujer en busca de sus sueños en la ciudad de Jaipur by Alka Joshi

8 reviews

kris_tea516's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

5.0

Book 81 of 2024

“The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi

5/5 ⭐️ 

Set in Jaipur, India in the 1950’s, this is the story of a woman who left her abusive husband to make herself a better life. The unexpected arrival of a sister she never knew existed upends life & disrupts her plans. The years of work she spent building up a reputation of an expert henna artist & medicine woman is on the line. 

This was a beautifully written story of how life never goes the way we plan but it also a redemption story for almost every character involved. It is also a story of how none of us build a life outside of community. Through our journey people help us along sometimes in a benevolent spirit & sometimes with evil intent that leads to growth in character. No one in this story is entirely good or entirely bad…well, maybe one character…

I loved this book but I will warn that it may not be for everyone. There is some pretty intense scenes & topics discussed that are definitely not for kids but also many adults might prefer to skip this book so I will list some trigger warnings:

• emotional, mental, physical, & sexual abuse (at least one horrifyingly graphic mention of sexual abuse)
• Heavy discussion & focus at times around abortion
• One very descriptive sex scene
• Prostitution
• Abandonment
• Infertility, miscarriage & still birth
• Death of a parent
• Arranged marriages
• Depression
• Suicide
• Infidelity
• Sexual harassment 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, Islamophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Colonisation

tinkithesquirelll's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative 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

4.5

4.5 stars.
This was a phenomenal book. I loved the inside on how india operated and the families. This was a beautiful book about hardship , love , guilt, and starting over. I love Lakshmi and respect the hardship she had to endure throughout this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

apriltee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Sexual assault

nirejalk's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

hannazoeo's review against another edition

60% into this book, I realized it was going to be a dnf. I was enjoying parts of the story and Lakshmi as a character, aside from it being a sort of "exotic" portrayal of India written for Westerners. But then I couldn't get over the glossed-over child sexual abuse, and when the author tries to make Lakshmi's abusive ex-husband a sympathetic character. We learn that he "only" beat her because he knew about her induced miscarriages - while being in an abusive marriage she never wanted. A redemptive arc is okay... but not done in this shallow way. 

I understand that India, and especially women in that country, has had an extraordinarily difficult time with its history of child marriages and sexual abuse. But I've felt that these things can be written about with a feeling of desensitization or reasoning I can't understand. This isn't really a criticism of the author(s) and their experiences, but just a feeling that made this book not right for me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Abortion, and Pregnancy

jog_uk's review against another edition

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Abortion

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad 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 abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Dysphoria

Minor: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Cultural appropriation

thevietvegan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a beautiful story. I don't know a lot about Hindu and Muslim culture in India, but I feel like I was able to participate in a small sliver of it with how vivid this book is. The characters are so real, the hurt is real, and the growth feels real.

This book explores what motherhood means, the ripple of effects of ones actions, and how it can be futile to try and do everything on your own and that sometimes things are simply not about you nor are your fault.

I felt so much kinship to Lakshmi because of her feelings and experience while straddling the line of being a caretaker but wanting the closeness of a sister. Wanting friendship but feeling the weight of responsibility.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Death