Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Laiton lapsi: Värikäs nuoruuteni Etelä-Afrikassa by Trevor Noah

125 reviews

leahegood's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative sad medium-paced

3.5

Summary
The title is kind of all the summary this book needs. It tells the story of one boy with mixed parentage growing up in South Africa in the aftermath of apartheid.

My Thoughts
I read this book to fit a prompt in a reading challenge. "A funny memoir." Other reviewers had tagged this book as funny, and for sure there were funny moments (as one might expect from someone with a career as a comedian), but "funny" is not the first thing that comes to my mind immediately after finishing the book. There was a lot of insight and soul to this book. A lot of swearing too, unfortunately. And a lot of very complex relationships--the complexities artfully articulated. So yes. It was funny. As in, it had funny moments and often a comedic tone in the writing voice, but it was also sad and informative and hopeful.

Content
As mentioned, there was a good deal of swearing, including f-bombs.

There was mention of s*xual activity (not involving the author) and the threat of SA, but none of it is graphic or "on screen." Individuals dance in a provocative manner. Noah's mother also intentionally decided to have a child out of wedlock.

Violence and the threat of violence surround Noah throughout most of his childhood and young adult years. Though not described graphically, this is present throughout.

Noah's mother is deeply religious throughout the book. Noah seems skeptical, perhaps even dismissive, but is not derogative ... even ending the book with a begrudging acknowledgement of a miracle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Racism, Sexism, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty and Suicidal thoughts

hilivingston7's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

4.0

You can see he gets his humor, if not his faith, from his mom; super interesting to read about his life (and language abilities/adoption!) in South Africa. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Abandonment

sarahb919's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

Really interesting book but a challenging read. Challenges a lot of preconceptions I had about South Africa and its people. Glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

dani_reis's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content

linnylionheart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Pregnancy

Others: minors consuming alcohol

outofthepinksky's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racism, Violence, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

tflinn98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, and Police brutality

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

almodine's review against another edition

challenging funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

Trevor is a mixed race man who partially grew up living under apartheid in South Africa, which might make it seem like his would be a story that’s tough to relate to. On the contrary, this is a collection of stories for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t fit in anywhere. At times tough to read, at times laugh out loud funny, at times both simultaneously, I respected him before but I adore him now.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty

wrensandroses's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Antisemitism

jstarshine16's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation