Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

43 reviews

alice666's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

A mostly incisive commentary on the trauma enacted on black families due to prejudice and discrimination within the criminal justice system. 

There were a lot of things I felt, especially from Roy, like this quote: ‘we aren’t all PC in prison, we say what’s on our mind,’ which absolutely nails the incremental effects of that experience and how you can never get who you were before back.

It should be heartbreaking, however the novel quickly just devolves into a soap opera about a fraught relationship that never should have lasted in the first place because he never respected her.

It made it hard to care and invest in the narrative and future of their marriage or relationship, which should’ve been the main purpose of this novel. But this is how he thinks about her, ‘I wanted her to wait for me, like women have been waiting before Jesus.’

It’s only slightly recovered at the end, but I was left to struggle with my frustrating lack of care throughout reading it. And since I couldn’t properly reckon with the inclusion of his casual misogyny, it almost ruined the book for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Minor: Infidelity and Rape

carlytenille's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and Abandonment

readbetweendeelines's review

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Rape, Abortion, and Death of parent

jlfields925's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, and Death of parent

leahthebooklover's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense

3.5

An intimate look at how one marriage is affected by a miscarriage of justice and incarceration. Told from alternating points of view. It was a 4 star read for me until the ending, when all the conflict seemed to resolve a little too conveniently. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Infidelity, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Violence, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Police brutality

moriahleigh's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, and Abortion

Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Racism, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

sar_willow's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

3.5

Rounding up to a four. I should’ve slept, but I needed to finish this book more than I needed to dream. The circumstances probably happen over and over again across the US, mostly to Black men, but the outcome of being released felt less realistic. But that’s where the story pivots, and without it, there wouldn’t be a story to tell.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Infidelity, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

marena02's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

jg34's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This felt very real and emotional and brings up very important questions. I felt a bit unsatisfied by the ending but thats just my opinion because I was hoping it would go another way.

I was rooting for Roy, Andre and celestial just didn’t do it for me either because the story didn’t sell it or because my early bias. Though I suppose the author did not need to sell it, that’s not really what the story is about. Either way JUSTICE FOR ROY

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Death, Rape, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Sex scenes are not detailed or graphic. A long portion of this book has a character set in prison. One pretty violent scene otherwise some other topics mentioned a bit but not in detail