Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

49 reviews

caseyjnovak's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

The characters are incredibly vivid, but the last two paragraphs kept it from rating higher for me. So many topics, so much trauma, so well intertwined. I enjoyed the format, though I did have to go back a few times to verify the different timelines. Will definitely look for more by this author!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Racism, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

knitswhilereading's review

challenging emotional medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Grief

Minor: Gun violence

polkadots_pints's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

It has been an incredibly long time since I’ve read a story so beautifully crafted and that moved me so much. I confess, I don’t always get through the acknowledgments section at the back of the book, but the way Stringfellow writes not only had me reading the whole thing with ease, but also made me cry. Thank you to the author for exposing me and educating me on a world and experiences that is so real for many, and so different from my own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and War

sofxaim's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved this book. It was easy to get invested into the story and its characters. I saw a little bit of my family in the generational patterns seen in this story. 

I think the jumping back and forth between years made it just a tad hard to follow along with the story, but at the same time I appreciated the flashbacks and the present as well. Like some of the other reviews said, I wish it was longer and that we could have seen a little bit more of My.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Grief, and War

jazful's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The book "Memphis" tells an entertaining story with female characters who are likeable. Particularly impressive is the author's ability to describe the atmosphere of the South in the USA in different decades authentically and realistically. The detailed descriptions allow the reader to vividly imagine the scenery.

The plot deals with important and relevant topics such as the history of Black families in the South of the USA, segregation, police violence, racism, Black Liberation, family tragedies & crime in Memphis. But also Black love, hope, female empowerment, strength and the power of sibling love. The book is written from the perspective of women, which gives it a special importance.

But there are also a few points of criticism. Joan, who narrates in the first person, is supposed to be only 10 years old in the first few chapters, but seems far too mature and grown-up for her age. In addition, the time jumps from chapter to chapter are sometimes far too confusing.

Another important point is the lack of trigger warning. A sexual assault on a child is discussed on the very first pages. Other serious topics such as murder, loss, rape, domestic violence and racist slurs also appear, which can be very distressing for those affected.

One serious point of criticism is the author's unprofessional and childish behaviour in dealing with important reader feedback. Readers who raised critical points were dismissed by her (on Instagram) and sometimes even told that they had not understood the book. For example, almost all the male characters in the book were portrayed problematically. The author did not accept the discussion and vehemently disagreed that these characters were lovable.

It is very important to have an exchange and a critical discussion (not even really with the author, but among the readers), especially in a work that deals with so many complex and sensitive issues. I don't think I'll read another book by her if she writes another one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: War

Minor: Slavery, Blood, and Medical content

headachesince03's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, Torture, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

katewhite77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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 Really Enjoyed This Family Saga

Memphis, as the tite would maybe suggest, is the main character in this book. As there is a polyphonic cast of characters.

This is the story of three generations of females in the North family.  The story starts in  the middle in the mid-90s and makes its way back through the 60s, when there was a colour bar in place, all the way 30s. The narrative ends in 2003.

The main themes of this book are race, violence, relationships, war, nherited trauma, and grief.

This is not an easy read, so check for trigger warnings if you feel as if there are a few. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Racism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Police brutality, and Grief

teeslooseleaf's review against another edition

challenging 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: Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

The ending may be triggering for SA survivors.

anna_rubin's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and War

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent

lilo000's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Some beautiful description. Took me a minute to realize the connection between the two stories. Also took me a minute to  wrap my head around jumping time periods with each chapter but I got the hang of it eventually. I'm guessing the acknowledgements were narrated by the author - definitely made them that much more powerful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Abandonment, and War

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Grief, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Sexism, Medical content, Murder, and Pregnancy