Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Street by Ann Petry

12 reviews

amalas_bookstop's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Woah this story felt too real! I had to put it down for a while before I could finish it. Lutie’s circumstances are absolutely heartbreaking and all encompassing. I could physically feel the heartbreak and loneliness. 

Ann Petry was able to tackle racism, classism, colorism, socialism, etc. She navigated flawlessly and her writing left no crumbs. This book is a perfect example of allowing the reader to discuss and think about these topics without having the narrator spoon feed the topic to us. This book is a must read. I will definitely read more from her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Infidelity, Grief, and Abandonment

katharina90's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Really well written. Keeps you reading even though the pace is slow and the plot extremely depressing. 

There's nothing happy or hopeful about this story, and the layers of oppression and injustice remain virtually unchanged almost a century later. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Violence, Stalking, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Slavery

theknitpick's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Stalking

Minor: Violence

miqnightrain's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Stalking

walkie_check's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jwells's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense

In her introduction to my edition, Tayari Jones says that The Street has elements of pulp crime fiction. I'm not sure if she meant it as a compliment - possibly as a neutral observation - but it might help explain how this book can be so unrelentingly grim, but at the same time, so hard to put down. I got swept up in Petry's storytelling, so that every time I looked up from the book, I was surprised (and relieved) to see my own life around me instead of Lutie's. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Violence

N-word used, when quoting racist white people

caseythereader's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

emzireads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring relaxing sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Stalking

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence

emeraldcityreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Violence, and Murder

literaryhedgehog's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Simply put, The Street is breathtaking.
I’m her depiction of 1940s Harlem, Petry creates a narrative that is viscerally human. Her masterful use of multiple perspectives allows her characters to come to life as fully realized and independent human beings, while also showing how they are objectified and dehumanized by one another. The depiction of race, class, and gender is frank, beautifully articulated, and still very relevant to life in the 21st century. I have never seen a better depiction of the daily life of a woman, including the joys and anxieties of motherhood.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a reflective/serious read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence