Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

57 reviews

ladyinverse's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I will definitely think about this book for a long time. probably the most harrowing novel I've read and the writing was absolutely captivating and gripping. 

I found myself cheering or yelling oh no at the characters as I read the deeper and deeper I got into this story.

Etaf Rum is certainly a new auto buy author for me. Her writing is elegant and captivating and her story telling transports you to the characters she's portraying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: War and Xenophobia

Minor: Abortion

hancaavdic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, and Toxic relationship

emilyinherhead's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I deeply admire the courage it took to write this book and tell this story—as someone from the very Palestinian-American culture about which she writes, who has herself experienced many of the horrible things she describes, Etaf Rum has put herself at great risk by doing so. Five stars for that bravery and effort.

However, something about the book itself didn’t work as well for me as I was hoping. A lot of the characters lack nuance, and there is a fair amount of “telling, not showing” going on when the reverse might have been more powerful and effective. And the repetition! My reading experience really dragged toward the end, likely because it felt like everything had already been said.

I do look forward to reading more of what Rum writes in the future, though, as she continues to mature as a writer. She has important things to say.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence

merlinandrose's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence

Minor: Murder and Toxic relationship

arszania's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence

misslaurenreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

Honestly this book was incredible. A lot of reviewers say it was repetitive, but bear in mind it is being told from three different perspectives so some of it is bound to repeat. It is a beautiful story of the strength of women and will definitely stick with me for a while.

the plot twist at the end?? So many different theories I may or may not have googled. The plot twist really is what knocked it down from 5 stars for me. I needed one more chapter…. Or even paragraph really… to give an explanation of what happens after the subway doors open.

all in all, it was a great read and I highly recommend it - just make sure you’re in the headspace for something pretty dark.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Xenophobia, Blood, and War

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad 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

4.75

This was a rough one, and I was surprised that it was on Jenna Bush Hager's reading list, but I'm probably judging her unfairly based on her father. I thought the book unfolded very well, and I will definitely read this author again. Lots of digging fingernails into legs, though. Maybe that was on purpose to connect the generations of women?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Child death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Car accident, Alcohol, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Abortion, Alcoholism, and Blood

Minor: Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Infertility

augie_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Self harm, Addiction, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexism, Alcoholism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Pregnancy, War, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail

car155a's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder

annie26's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad 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

4.5

This is a heartbreaking tale of womanhood in the Palestine community both abroad and in the US. I felt sooo much compassion for Isra and her daughter Deya. I wanted so badly for them both to win, to beat their circumstances. This is a hard story to read in a lot of ways but the mystery behind Isra’s untimely death keeps you turning the pages. Along with your desire to see Deya do the things her mother could not. It’s a story about courage, about women’s courage in particular and about how we have a choice on what we do with our pain. Our past trauma explains our bad behaviour or destructive patterns but it does not excuse it. It’s a story about how women are set up to fail in a lot of ways and how that can lead to disasterous consequences. It’s an incredibly powerful story and one that I’m very grateful to have (finally!) read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship