Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

7 reviews

betag1013's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, and Classism

jaduhluhdabooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

It has taken me many years to finally sit down and sit in the words from Alice Walker. Following Celie and Nettie's story was heart breaking and healing. A rich and vulnerably articulated artistry woven through tendrils of friendship, first loves, heart breaks, and restorations.

There's so much in this text. So much to unpack. To sit with. Being raised in the church in unpacking so much of my own journey of discovering the ways in which white supremacy manipulated my views of God and the church and the idolatry of man over woman. 

Listening to Nettie journey through this deconstruction felt healing to know that it was an art being indulged in long before me and that Black women then and now continue to sit at the pinnacle of change radicalizing the religious world in a signicant and necessary way. There's also the deep rooted connected I feel to Celie. 

A dark skinned, big boned woman, with attraction to women, but an obligation to men. It's such a beautiful tribute to finding ways to love yourself as you are and not me ashamed of the blemishes and the scarring that so many of those deemed beautiful continuously point out or find a way to highlight outside of your other 

enchanting qualities. There is so much beauty is Celie's character that I can't put it into words, but I feel them. And I appreciate them. And my heart both breaks and soars for her. Her journey. 

Her life. Her survival. Her care and her love. For people, for 

community, and later for herself. 

So grateful for this read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and War

booksnbrooches's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a stunning novel!

I’m not sure me in the past would have appreciated this as much as I can at this time in my life. As they say, books reach us at the right time. This one certainly did. 

It’s a story of love, loss, redemption, and trauma. It’s life and death. Wonderful, wonderful book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Incest

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

Some books find you at the right time and this really hit me. I thought it would be much harder to read but it really just feels like you are in Celie's head. Though the subject matter is tough, it is explored in a really interesting insightful way. It really is a beautiful book with my favorite part being the changing relationships. All these people hurt each other but they also love and with time they all shift around in an interesting way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Pregnancy

passionyoungwrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”

💜 

I know this story mostly follows two sisters, Celie and Nettie in early twentieth- century rural Georgia. Sisters who were separated as girls and sustained their relationship through distance and silence. Though, I feel this novel is so much more. 

💜 

This story is a story of hope, self- acceptance, accountability, resilience, redemption, and love - in many forms. 

Celie needing to love herself mostly, but after receiving love from another being - she realized that what she sought was never really an external thing. That she is the creator of her own experiences. 

Nettie, accepting that her life could be more than what she saw of others, ventured out, traveled and helped others. Reassuring her sister that distance would never be an issue. 

Mr. ______ (I hated the way that was written) finally saw that he was his own problem. He realized that he wasn’t the man he thought he was (hence his resentment and abuse of women) and his anger mostly hurt him the most. 

Shug, moving around so much because she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. And when she found it, she still found a way from it. Though, many of her problems stemmed from her family pushing her aside from early on. 

Harpo, finally realized that respect will take your relationships far. And that trying following the steps of his daddy in regards to treatment of women would only end him with a black eye. 

Sophia, standing her ground because ain’t no man gonna rule her. Not her husband, not the mayor.

And most of all, everybody realizing that love appears when you need it most. Shifting to fit the current circumstances, and sometimes evolving with time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

annamay1021's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Colonisation

Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

veganecurrywurst'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.” 

 “I am an expression of the divine, just like a peach is, just like a fish is. I have a right to be this way...I can't apologize for that, nor can I change it, nor do I want to... We will never have to be other than who we are in order to be successful...We realize that we are as ourselves unlimited and our experiences valid. It is for the rest of the world to recognize this, if they choose.” 

 “I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I'm here.” 

 “I try to teach my heart not to want nothing it can't have.” 

  “Let him hear me. If [god] ever listened to poor colored women, the world would be a different place.” 

 “If you was my wife, she say, I'd cover you up with kisses stead of licks, and work hard for you too.” 

 “Every stitch i sew will be a kiss.” 

 “I wash her body, it feels like I'm praying. My hands tremble and my breath short.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship