Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

10 reviews

madamenovelist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Acephobia/Arophobia

The SA/rape is narrated from a past experience by the survivor to the MC. It’s not super graphic but the adult survivor was a child at the time and it’s still potentially triggering. The sexual harassment is pretty graphic

(dude says creepy things about sperm while masturbating covertly without the MC realizing at first)

, happens to MC in a current scene, and left me nauseous. There is also a graphic description of MC describing having consensual sex with a past bf while being sex-repulsed. The acephobia comes into play when MC narrates how others tried to get her to view or try sex different ways instead of accepting she just isn’t in to sex.

pizzaisjesus98's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

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

4.25

A wonderful and important book. I love how the author described colors, feelings, and people. I’m also surprised at the emotions it got out of me. Truly a lovely piece of writing, even if some parts of it drag a bit. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Blood, and Stalking

sea_sea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book was absolutely amazing. Would 100% recommend it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

nozycozy's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? No

5.0

So human. So Beautiful. Kawakami’s riveting prose makes you feel like you’re a part of Natsumes life. Her thoughts and interactions with others were at times sad but these are the realities many women face. I learned so much and connected with many of the women in her life. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

thecatsmum's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Sexual content, and Abandonment

officialdani's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.25

Certain parts of the book felt like they dragged on too much, leaving me feeling bored and not wanting to continue reading. But the parts that were interesting really kept me engaged. The book explores so many aspects of womanhood, sexuality, motherhood, poverty, societal expectations, etc. it’s introspective and reflective making for a great, thought provoking read. I recommend powering through the rougher parts of the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, Rape, and Vomit

marichascona's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

Maybe I'm forgetting things because it took me so long to get through, but this book has very little plot. Instead, it's long scenes of the narrator's self-reflection/stream of consciousness and what I perceived as the author inserting their own musings on various bodily/reproductive topics into her characters' mouths when they speak to (past) each other. To a certain extent, that's what writing is, I suppose, but all of the various character monologues seemed spoken with the same voice, rather than reflective of their individual personalities. 

That said, my copy is dog-earred to death. Again and again, Kawakami articulates existential feelings and questions frankly, clearly, and without shame. I mmm'd allowed with most page turns. A philosophical read.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Emotional abuse

coles14_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

ye_li's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

Breasts and Eggs is an insanely surreal book. It explores what it means to be a woman, what can classify a person as a woman, and what it means to live. The characters are convoluted, just complete messes—what a disaster they are, but that's what I found rather charming. Even as they're aging, moving into their twenties and thirties and forties, they still have no idea what the fuck they're doing. Which is almost reassuring, in a way. It took a while for me to read because it has a quirky writing style, and the paragraphs were… long, to say the least. Some themes were rather sudden, too, and I wasn't used to reading about such things, so I had to take breaks here and there. However, I still quite liked it. A very thoughtful piece of work, I can see why it received the praise it did.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

sygritte's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt