Reviews tagging 'Grief'

How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs

3 reviews

minimicropup's review against another edition

emotional informative lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

3.5

I liked all the different perspectives and the slice of life feels woven throughout these stories.

Mood Reading Match-Up:
Fragrant soup. Brooklyn streets. Sea kissing shore. Plantain and bread and eggs. Mermaids. Coconut drops. Cornmeal porridge. Rotting pears. Clean air. Singing. 

• Stream of consciousness essays and memories
• Random(ish), open-ended, or ambiguous conclusions
• Slice of life snapshots
• Nostalgic, existential, reflective vibes
• Morally grey characters
• Social commentary and struggles 
• Jamaican (and Caribbean) culture
• Emotional lives of diverse people from children to young adults to elders
• Reflecting on family dynamics and relationship decisions
• Vignette style short stories

Content Heads-Up: Racism (colourism, discussion/debate, bias). Eating disorder (bulimia). Sexual assault (groping; very brief off page). Sexual content (consenting; brief on page). Homophobia (character comments, discomfort). Miscarriage (very brief off page). Loss of a child, grief. Adult/minor relationship. Cheating, infidelity (brief mentions). Double standards, hypocritical gender roles. Breast cancer (on page, mention). Body shaming (character opinions; fat, skinny, short, flat). Classism (prejudice, bias, rejection). Domestic abuse. Drug use.

Rep: Jamaican. Jamaican-American. Black and White Americans. Chinese-American. Second generation culture. Cisgender. Heterosexual. Gay. Lesbian. Bisexual. Dark, brown, light, coffee, albino, red, and pale skin tones.

📚 Format: Kindle

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, and Grief

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Classism

bookishkellyn's review against another edition

reflective

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

5.0

This is the first anthology where I’ve enjoyed every single story. This is a well-written collection that really hits home if you’re Jamaican (or Black Caribbean).

→ A friendship with a white-washed Black girl. A man compares himself to his estranged twin brother. The drownings of twin girls who loved mermaids. A mother sends her daughter back home to reset behaviors. A lesbian at a “straight wedding” reflects on life changes. A boy reminisces about his late grandmother. A college girl on an international track scholarship. A married immigrant harbors a secret. Acquaintances reconnect on Facebook. Daughters express their mixed emotions about their mothers. A Rihanna-like star dwells on her trials and tribulations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Abortion, and Pregnancy

hilarylouise's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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

Minor: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief