starness's review against another edition
3.0
Holy hell this book hits you straight in the guts right from the beginning and doesn't let up. Raw and powerful the writing style gives it an authenticity that gets to you, although it got slightly on my nerves after awhile. You immediately feel sorry for this poor girl. The abuse...too much at times, ugly awful. So glad there is a a silver lining at the end of all this with a glimmer of hope to hang onto
kowalski2aa's review against another edition
4.0
Great read, hard to sit through at some points, but still worth reading. I can definitely see how this book is banned in many schools, but its a great coming of age story dealing with addiction, child abuse, poverty, etc. I think the book was even better than the movie, Precious. Happy with the ending. Would give five stars, but this book isn't for everyone.
katherine_f16's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book, and I feel bad not giving it 5 stars. I was hoping for more at the ending, some kind of closure. I got to the end and I was surprised that was it. However, the story was excellent and I really loved seeing Precious blossom.
jerrica's review against another edition
5.0
Holy crap.
I knew that the book was intense before I read it, but I wasn't prepared for the range of emotions I would feel while reading it. It's such a powerful, propelling novel. The misspelled words were at times trying, but it really added to the story, for the most part, and helped you hear Precious' "accent", I guess you would say. Wow, just wow. I read it all pretty much in one sitting. I seriously could not put it down.
I knew that the book was intense before I read it, but I wasn't prepared for the range of emotions I would feel while reading it. It's such a powerful, propelling novel. The misspelled words were at times trying, but it really added to the story, for the most part, and helped you hear Precious' "accent", I guess you would say. Wow, just wow. I read it all pretty much in one sitting. I seriously could not put it down.
thelittlestacks's review against another edition
3.0
Sixteen year old Claireece Precious Jones is suspended from school because she is pregnant with her second child. The public school system has failed her by leaving her illiterate. Her family has failed her by emotionally, physically, and sexually abusing her on a daily basis. She frequently daydreams to escape her grim reality. Her life turns around after she meets a teacher at an alternative school who believes in her and recognizes the injustice of her situation. Ms. Rain teaches her more than the ABCs. She teaches Precious self-expression and the meaning of love.
The gritty story is at times difficult to read because of its graphic depictions of Precious's abuse as well as the various levels of dialect that is employed to serve as her voice. The struggle on the part of the reader adds a dimension of empathy that makes the story seem ever-more real.
The gritty story is at times difficult to read because of its graphic depictions of Precious's abuse as well as the various levels of dialect that is employed to serve as her voice. The struggle on the part of the reader adds a dimension of empathy that makes the story seem ever-more real.
elminakate's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
kvjrist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Incest, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexism
meljdcruz's review against another edition
5.0
This book is hard to read, don’t get me wrong. It’s haunting and gut wrenching, but it’s powerful. It’s an important text, that people must read.
naomi41's review against another edition
3.0
Oh lord. I've seen people reading this book all the time, so finally I decided to read the novel myself. Wow. the novel is highly graphic, trying to depict the African American stereotype in a new light. I have yet to see a fictional character whose life sucks sooo badly! Precious Jones is the epitome of failure in every sense. But shes a survivor, and that gives people the strength to carry on...even if their lives are as crappy as hers. It took a while to get through all the illiterate writing (Sapphire writes the way Precious thinks and speaks) and the graphic, disgusting details of her life. It wasnt the best book I've ever read, but I finished it in a day, so it was something I needed to keep reading.
jsh626's review against another edition
2.0
I decided to read Push rather than see the movie, b/c I don't handle graphic sex well and I figured I could "zone out" if needed with the book. Holy. Smokes. It was Graphic (note the capital "G"). But if you can get past all that (which is difficult, since the author throws it at you when you least expect it), this book was really disappointing. I really wanted to like it, but it wasn't engaging. After the first 20 pages, I found myself skimming - the book had gone from a story with a really fast pace, to a plodding lecture. Quick read - took me about 2 hours. In short, glad I didn't see the movie, but the story only gets a "meh" from me.