Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Demain, et demain, et demain by Gabrielle Zevin

211 reviews

modzu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Drug use, Sexism, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Ableism, Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

booksense's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

felofhe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sueshi's review against another edition

dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Disappointing.. the beginning was so good though 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship

eevah's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Vomit and Cultural appropriation

slowburnsrus's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

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

2.0

When I started this book I was bored by the clunky and self indulgent writing, and annoyed by the peak White Feminism critique of trauma and cultural appropriation that was far less thoughtful and nuanced than the Barbie movie. 

The root of my dissatisfaction is that reading about a character playing a game is like reading about a character working out…fun when you do it yourself, excruciating when we read the minutiae of another’s experience.

The strongest part of this book is its work with grief, and the metaphors around gaming in relation to grief and loss. That grabbed me in the second half and kept me reading.

But the writing feel excessively overwrought with not enough payoff in either plot or observations on the human condition to make me enjoy reading it. 

I cannot express how much I came to loathe many of the characters, particular Dov, the sexual harasser and groomer who (spoiler) gets a fucking redemption arc at the end of the book.

I was surprised that there were fewer attributions than I would expected in the authors note as I recognized many of the book’s references, and Sadie in particular was prone to insightful wanderings that so had definitely read before.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use and Abortion

raquellecollins's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

danpolta's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Blood, Vomit, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Stalking, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship

lulialof's review against another edition

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

3.0

It had a good pace and nice focus on a special, deep friendship. It is not the most realistic story out there, but it does not have to be. Felt influenced by Normal People (Sally Rooney) and A little life (Hanya Yanagihara), but still keeping love and overcoming challenges at the heart of the story, rather than digging a deep hole of misery. Easy to read, not earthshatteringly unique or fascinating in terms of story and language, but still captivating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation

rebeccaquinton's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation