Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

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

13 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

elisalasater's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Miscarriage and Abortion

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide, Vomit, and Death of parent

sknappy1's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Hands down, one of the best books I've read in decades. It takes place in the 1950s in Jaipur, and Joshi tackles important women's issues, especially reproductive struggles, including contraception, abortion, infertility, teen pregnancy, and adoption. The main character, Lakshmi, left an abusive marriage and struck out on her own. She has created her own successful henna business, climbing up the ladder by serving the higher-up elite women of Jaipur. On the side, she also creates herbal remedies for women to help them have control over their own lives, such herbal teas to prevent pregnancy, abort an unwanted one, or to increase fertility for those struggling to conceive. Years later, a sister that she didn't even know that she had shows up at her door. Everything changes for her as she takes her sister under her wing and as the two learn to understand one another. So much about social status is discussed in this book as well. There are moments that will break your heart. Lakshmi is a strong and clever main character who fights for her success and independence, as well as for that of the women around her. The Henna Artist is a beautiful, moving, and engaging book that had me hooked from the beginning. Highly recommend. Five stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Classism

Moderate: Infertility, Sexual content, Suicide, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Vomit, and Sexual harassment

dnlrbchd's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, Abortion, and Death of parent

lilaceous's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad fast-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? Yes

3.5

characters - ⭐️

plot - ⭐️

engaging to read - ⭐️

would recommend - .5⭐️

would read again - 

i devoured this novel because of how lush its imagery is. the characters are complicated and imperfect, and very well written in my opinion. although the plot is a bit melodramatic, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. if anything, the exaggerated drama made it more fun to read.

has some pretty heavy themes and plot points, so i would check the content warnings before reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide, 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

annaledbetter's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Islamophobia, and Death of parent

linesiunderline's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring sad 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

4.0

The Henna Artist is a transporting kind of read. Joshi brings the setting to life with all kinds of sensory details.  Lakshmi is a complex and engaging character - you want to see her find her way to a fulfilling life. Self-discovery, the strength of family, and female empowerment are central themes here, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in the story telling. Excellent narration on audio.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy

booksandprosecco's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicide