Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

13 reviews

foreverinastory's review

challenging emotional 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? Yes

Wow. I am just speechless at this book. I need to process some more before I say anything. This was not an easy book to read, but wow it was incredible.

Rep: Two Palestinian women MC, one Palestinian-American girl MC, cast is made up of mainly Palestinian and Palestinian-American characters, most if not all are Muslim. One of the MCs suffers from depression.

CWs: Alcohol consumption, alcoholism, abandonment, abortion, blood, car accident, death, death of parent, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, genocide (mentions of Nakbah), grief, islamophobia (girls are told not to wear the hijab outside of the house/school), mental illness (depression), misogyny, murder, miscarriage (character forces herself to miscarry through physical violence to her stomach), physical abuse, pregnancy (several times), rape (marital rape), sexism, sexual content, suicidal thoughts, violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Genocide, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Abortion, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Car accident

powellki's review

sad slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

kylieqrada's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

Don't mind me, just sitting in my car on my lunch break feeling ALL THE FEELS. This was such a timely read, given what's going on in Palestine atm. Israeli oppression of Palestinians is portrayed in heart-breaking clarity as a backdrop to the story. It is also a very intense read, so check CWs before jumping in. Etaf Rum's prose is lovely, and the voices of Deya, Isra, and Fareeda are so clear and uniquely their own in a way that I haven't experienced in a multiple POV story in a while. The treatment of women in traditional Arabic culture is portrayed so poignantly, and I really liked how the author made it clear that the Islamic faith does not condone that treatment. The different ways we cope with trauma and the effects of intergenerational trauma are also explored. Highly, highly recommend this one. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy