The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
zas9's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Infertility
carriepond's review against another edition
- 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
"Curled up, under her magical pony-and-rainbow sheets, she had prayed and prayed to fall asleep and wake up a boy. That way, she'd always belong to herself; other people might even belong to her."
"It wasn't scary and foggy no more. He was seeing a new road with black-and-white answers now. . . . Now he feel free . . . Now he had other people, the real culprit-and-them, to hate."
The book summary says that "Pleasantview reveals the dark side of the Caribbean dream," and that it does. Definitely review trigger warnings for this title, because the book covers many heavy topics. But Celeste Mohammed handles it all so expertly, and the characters she creates really shine. I really loved seeing how each story would build on the next, and it really hit home how the decisions we make and actions we take are never isolated-- we are all connected and bound up in one another.Â
Excellent collection of short stories.
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Homophobia
Minor: Abandonment and Alcoholism
emzireads's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Rape, Violence, Misogyny, Miscarriage, and Lesbophobia
caribbeangirlreading's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Trafficking, Rape, Blood, Classism, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Murder, Gun violence, Abortion, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Pedophilia
2treads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The characters are written so well, their circumstances, decisions, and motivations relayed with such intent, and makes these stories hard to look away from.
Mohammed underscores her stories with issues of identity crisis, greed, corruption, violence, sexuality, denial, secrets, illicit acts and relationships; widening a window into the complexities that people are, that their situations are and what that all looks like when the chickens come home to roost.
This collection was a breeze to read with characters that propelled each story, behaviours and tricks that both thrilled and dismayed, while centering vulnerabilities and hopes.
Minor: Rape, Trafficking, Violence, Miscarriage, and Homophobia