Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

31 reviews

sophiesmallhands's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Vomit, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Body horror, Deadnaming, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and War

qiaokelibar's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring 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

This is now in my top 5 favorite books of all time. The prose was engaging in a way I could only hope to emulate. The characters, from the heroine to even the smallest side character, were all so interesting and well fleshed-out. There were little mysteries peppered throughout that kept me guessing until the end - and the ending itself? Amazing!! The reveal of

the scribe's identity

had me doing cartwheels of joy (Lie: I'm literally laying in bed). I need everyone in my life to run to their nearest bookstore and buy themselves a copy ASAP. I can't wait until the next installment!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Murder and Classism

Minor: Racism, Sexism, and Alcohol

booksemmahasread's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Alcohol

celery's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

keelirae113's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

The story has a slow start, but once I got past the world building I was hooked! A fantastic read for anyone who has ever been told there is a “respectable” life they need to fit themselves into. You aren’t too much and anyone who thinks you are can go find less. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Islamophobia, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Minor: Drug use, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Cultural appropriation

relin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I got stuck at 30% because I thought it was going to get spookier. Glad I followed my friend's advice and tried again because it was delightful and mystical. Nothing bad happens to the cat, and I'm excited for this to be a series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Medical content and Abandonment

Minor: Slavery and Trafficking

Religious differences

carrerabooks's review against another edition

adventurous funny 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

4.25

I really liked this book a lot! It was incredibly adventurous, the pirate backdrop is incredibly exciting and a fun setting. I loved the protagonist. I feel like she was written very well. Strong and stubborn, but not in a way that feels overdone at all. 

There are so many cute characters. I would definitely love if we got closer to the characters as I typically very easily and strongly bond with them, but I still really enjoyed the little family that was made from the core characters. They still grew and got to be vulnerable and show their love for each other throughout and it’s just lovely. The bits of eccentric personalities in many characters are very fun, and I hope to see them more. I love how diverse they are, culturally, personality-wise, etc. 

I would say I overall enjoyed the pacing of this book. It definitely wasn’t slow, but it wasn’t running at the speed of light either. I think near the very end (like last 50 pages or so), I would have enjoyed it being slowed down slightly more, but that’s not to say it was a rushed ending by any means. Things were still wrapped up neatly and there’s room to expand the series if she chooses to! (Fingers crossed!)

Finally, I love the very subtle LGBTQ+ representation in this book. I think it’s so refreshing to see these treated not as a major plot point, conflict, or drama, but simply letting the reader know a little more about the characters and let it be normalized. Of course I love stories centered around queerness, but it feels great to just let it be included without special fanfare. For one character specifically (no spoilers) I absolutely loved the small reveal and just how perfectly it tied into the story without stealing any spotlight. Nothing is forced about it, nothing feels trope-y or stereotypical. It’s just people being people and I love that. 

This book is great and I highly suggest reading it! I found it because I had read R.F. Kuang’s releases and saw she had reviewed this on the cover, and I’m so happy to have picked it up. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Trafficking

bzliz's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

It took me altogether far too long to finish this book. It was first hampered by my borrowed copy being uncomfortable to hold. Those book of the month books are satisfyingly uniform on a shelf but annoying for my wrists when I want to read them. I switched to a digital copy and then had to contend with the slog as Amina pulls her crew together, which is the main reason I can’t give this five stars. Each small victory was interesting but it took so long I felt myself getting impatient to get to the meat of the story. It picked up for me after Amina’s second meeting with Salima and then I was fully bought in. 

Having a main character who is an older woman, highly competent, and a parent who still has their own dreams and goals was such a nice reprieve from young, inexperienced narrators who are always five steps behind the Big Bad but somehow manage to prevail. Amina is a beautifully written character and her supporting cast is equally captivating. They are devoted to her yet not subservient like she’s their only reason for breathing. The villains and the morally ambiguous characters are just as developed and I’m thankful they received the same treatment rather than being caricatures of evil. 

I was not ready for the trippy turn around the 70% mark but I loved it. It cemented for me how perfectly this would work if adapted to a TV series. It gave the much needed push to boost Amina to become someone worthy of the tales told about her. It’s also such an interesting juxtaposition of fantasy elements intermingled with historical bureaucracy and religious and political machinations. 

Most of the characters ascribe to a faith and it is frequently discussed and referenced. In my opinion, it is never preachy or pushing any kind of agenda on anyone, it is merely as simple as believing. If any religious aspects of a book make you uncomfortable, this is not the book for you. Likewise, there is talk of genocidal crusades, horrific murders and threats of sexual violence. Skip this if you’re sensitive to those topics. For anyone else, I do recommend giving this a try. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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

5.0

Such a fun book, with a huge and diverse cast of characters. I didn’t even mind the storytelling inside the storytelling format (usually highly annoyed by that), but that was because it was minimal and not as distracting as usual. Great book for all ages. Reminds me a bit of The Princess Bride - full of adventure and driven by the love for one person, plus the salvation of an entire species!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Classism

tabea1409's review against another edition

adventurous challenging inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism