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jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
jlfields925's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Racism, Police brutality, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Lesbophobia
passionyoungwrites's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
To read how her mother left her, and she was taken to “work” for a woman for years made me sad. What was worse was who took her there.
🦢
Though Ruby grew up and moved to New York to find her mother, she comes back to Liberty and the worst that could happen - happens.
The only person in town that sees, knows, remember, and cares is Ephram Jennings. The twist is that Ephram is a preachers son who defies his sisters wishes by keeping company with Ruby.
The twist is that Ephram doesn’t know as much as his sister does about the people of Liberty, Texas. Nor does he know that he’s really righting the wrongs of his family from so many years ago.
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
rubybeast47'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment
grove9ruby's review against another edition
3.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual content
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Following a horrific childhood Ruby escapes to the big city where she survives rather than thrives. Being summoned back to her southern hometown, which remains keen to judge and condemn her for the sins done to her, precipitates a breakdown. The care and kindness of Ephraim, a childhood friend who has trauma of his own to deal with, eventually helps her to make peace with her past, to somehow learn to live with it.
Ruby seems personify the entirety of trauma suffered by Black women in America. The book clearly fits in the lineage of Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. At times the trauma felt overbearing and too much. But I’m well aware that says more about my privilege than the reality others experience. I was both pleased and relieved though that the ending offered some small measure of hope.
I’m not normally a fan of “magical realism” but I found it worked for me in this case. Apart from its use in scenes of voodoo and black magic I thought it a really effective way to demonstrate the trauma Ruby suffered and the inner turmoil she continued to live with, a way to explain the inexplicable, to say the unspeakable.
The writing was wonderfully evocative, the characters unforgettable, and the story totally compelling. But very much not a book for everyone.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Trafficking
lowkeymarie's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Animal death, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, and Kidnapping
incigiru's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Biphobia, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Torture
fionac326's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Rape, and Sexual violence
tina94's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence