Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn

12 reviews

kharcourt's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

arisol's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.5

For a novel that I picked up without a direct recommendation, I enjoyed this tremendously. The storyline gripped me and the characters touched me in a way that I didn't expect. I so appreciate the way the emotions and their specific relationship with mental health are described, so subtle while obvious in their descriptions for what they represent. I can tell so much heart and soul went into the novel in a way I appreciate immensely and makes me want to read more by this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Self harm, Transphobia, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

nefariousbee's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective tense 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

5.0

this was such a surprise. I picked it almost randomly for a reading challenge and it grabbed me by the heart and squeezed until my chest hurt before I could realize what was happening.
I ugly cried. I relate to Patsy and Cicely's story and seeing the culmination broke something in me. my heart doesn't let go either. and this was a very painful reminder of that.
above all, this books is so honest about so many *ugly* things. the reality of being undocumented, the illusion of ingrained motherhood, the social pressure on queerness. I appreciate the book for all of that so much.
it's not an easy read, but it's one that stays with you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Transphobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Deportation

bluberrybooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Xenophobia

Minor: Animal death and Miscarriage

juliastern__'s review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Abortion

moll_g's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.5

This is a challenging book that tackles a lot of heavy issues and made me feel a lot of things. I really enjoyed it overall but it can be very intense in parts. The characterisation and character development was very well done and I think that it being from two different perspectives worked really well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Moderate: Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, and Murder

emmalange102's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Abandonment

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Blood, Abortion, and Alcohol

leemonade's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Self harm and Transphobia

rigbees's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.5

Lately, I've been skeptical of trauma novels recommended to me, particularly if the person recommending them to me doesn't share an identity group with the author. This isn't because the trauma novel is bad or that the story shouldn't be shared. Rather, I'm skeptical about the way in which we consume trauma for entertainment. Even when an author is discussing painful experiences, the audience is not always there to listen.

Patsy is a novel that's about trauma and (eventually) healing from it. The novel follows Patsy, the title character, as she leaves her daughter in Jamaica and overstays her travel visa to the United States. Patsy experiences difficult challenges and lacks community support, both in Jamaica and as she gets established in NYC. The bulk of the book is about the way she struggles through life, managing to continue moving forward but failing to thrive. However, by the end of the novel

she starts to find healing through her relationship with Claudette, when she is able to embrace aspects of her identity that she's suppressed since being assaulted as a teenager.

Alongside Patsy's story is woven in the experiences of the child she left behind, Tru. 

This book is well-written. I am glad that I read it, as it talks frankly about difficult experiences of racism, homophobia and trauma. It is written, in my opinion, as a novel aimed at those who have experienced similar circumstances. I think that it's a very good novel overall, and one that enriched my life in reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Biphobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Hate crime

sophieh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent