syds_shelves's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Rape, and Panic attacks/disorders
gobblingupbooks's review against another edition
4.0
My favorite story was Mattie! I also really loved Naylor’s lyrical, feverish prose in the prologue and epilogue.
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Alcoholism
Minor: Child death
caughtbetweenpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was a little thrown off by the variety in length for some of the stories (eg. the opening story, Mattie, was about 1/5 of the whole book, whereas others were only a few pages long), because it seemed to grant more weight to some of these women compared to the others, and set me up to expect more of them, but it didn't make it less enjoyable to read overall. It did make it a little hard to pick up on the fact that the collection was moving through time, but again that wasn't a detracting factor to my enjoyment.
Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Racism, Rape, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Lesbophobia
midnightmarauder's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
There's Mattie Michael: a woman who had a baby out of wedlock and thought she could raise him well on love alone. He ends up
Then Etta Mae Johnson: Mattie's best friend who has only ever known how to
Following, Kiswana: a radical woman who fully embraces her black heritage and moves to Brewster Place for the purpose of finding the community she feels she lacked growing up.
Cora Lee: a lover of babies since childhood, whose obsession gets a bit too large and causes her to
And finally, Theresa and Lorraine: a lesbian couple who often fight about whether or not they're different from everyone else, solely on the count of their sexuality.
All of these women come from backgrounds that are not nearly similar to each other. But, they all come to Brewster Place to run, essentially, from the issues of their past. It is seen as a clean slate from the beatings, trauma, and pain that they experienced in those times.
Each story fits together like a puzzle piece as you read along, and I personally found myself captivated by these women's strengths. It gives a reminder that pain can often bring people together, and that isn't always in a bad way.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Grief, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, Abortion, Child death, and Religious bigotry
renareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Death, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Grief, Child death, Alcoholism, Abortion, and Murder
tictactoney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
The ending is hard. It hurts. Characters are growing and the community is beginning to thrive and then....it's all horrifically violated.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
tina94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Murder, Homophobia, and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
flowchelle's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Addiction, Murder, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Rape, Homophobia, and Pregnancy
rlgreen91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
I'll hide this to avoid spoilers,
Overall, this was a wonderfully written piece, and I'm looking forward to reading Linden Hills next.
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Death, Grief, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Child death, and Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse and Abortion
atamano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, and Abandonment