Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan

26 reviews

stellarstar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

4.5

Brilliantly written, disappointing ending. Would have preferred more clarity. Ending is rather abrupt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Gun violence, Trafficking, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Classism, Cursing, Sexism, Colonisation, Abandonment, Child death, Confinement, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism

Minor: Addiction, Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Eating disorder

bebidocrimes's review against another edition

emotional 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

You ever love someone so much you INVENT AQUARIUMS TO IMPRESS HER? It was a good read but it felt a little hard to care deeply about the characters, or maybe it's just that they were all kind of blunt straightforward people. After the narrative left Faith, I don't recall any other people of color getting very much characterization (the guides in the Arctic, any other Freemen in Nova Scotia, Titch's new assistant).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Cursing, Racial slurs, Blood, Grief, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide

katiehughes's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, and Racism

wordsofclover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs

Moderate: Violence

mariebrunelm's review

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

 George Washington Black's life was destined to be framed by the borders of the cane plantation in Barbados where he is enslaved. But a death and an unlikely friendship offer him an escape, and here is "Wash" carried away into the world. But can freedom be as simple as that for a Black man in the 1830s? His quest takes Washington further and further, guided by his passion for science and a talent for illustrating its marvels.

This really is a gorgeous book. It delivers some of those quiet sentences that silently break your heart, under the guise of a larger-than-life adventure. The relationship between Washington and his fellow traveler is complex and thoughtful, miles away from the white savior trope that is still too common in stories about Black people. I'd say this novel is as delicate and deep as its stunning cover.

Rep: Black MC with a disfigurement. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence

obviousthings's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Racism, Child death, Slavery, Violence, Racial slurs, Suicide, Blood, Injury/injury detail, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Pedophilia

audreylee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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

Whether describing the atmosphere of a Caribbean plantation, an Arctic village, or a hanging in England, Edugyan effortlessly places the reader just where she wants us. Often, just where we would not wish to be. The plot is slow moving and stifling with the weight of waiting and searching. The writing, gorgeous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Slavery

tracey1981's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Suicide, Death, and Racism

emilily's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Violence, Classism, and Slavery

thenonbinaryc's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Slavery, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Murder, and Suicide