Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

5 reviews

nehaanna's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Classism

cassielaj's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

Wow, this one was tough. Beautiful writing about some heart-wrenching subject matter. Through the death and destruction around them, the three central sisters shine, each with her own unique story, personality, and perspective. Their families and friends are wonderful characters as well, and each approaches the challenges that arise with goodness and perseverance. It was super interesting to learn about a period of Indian history I was unfamiliar with, especially as told through the lens of these stories. For a short book, it has a lot of moving parts, but the important themes and threads are carried throughout and resolved nicely.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism and Suicidal thoughts

someryarns's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

inked_in_pages's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative 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

4.0

What did you think of the novel overall?
This is a heartbreaking novel filled with historical accuracv.
Independence follows three sisters during the partition of India in the 1940s. It was written in a way that was easy to take in despite the incredibly heavy subject matter. I found myself invested in each characters story as I read. Overall, I think this a book that all historical fiction fans should read.

Was there anything challenging about the novel? Surprising?
This is a book that is not for the faint of heart and definitely not for someone looking for a lighter read. I struggled with the trauma these women faced throughout the novel and I needed time to process after reading. I was intrigued by the history of India as I read and learned so much about Demand Action Day, the partition of India and the histor of conflict between Hindu and Muslim people.

Was there anything you didn't like?
I mean, the ending was absolutely heartbreaking. So that's a hard pill to swallow. I did feel like there was A LOT leading up the final event and then it felt like it happened quickly.

Who would you recommend it to?
All historical fiction lovers. This is a new (to me) topic to read about and I learned so much while still connecting with the characters and the story!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Hate crime and Sexual assault

heatherjchin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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: Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Stalking, and Colonisation