Reviews tagging Excrement

The Girl with the Louding Voice, by Abi Daré

19 reviews

encharro's review against another edition

emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Excrement, Physical abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Classism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Trafficking, Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Infertility

jemimawilliamson's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infertility, Slavery, and Excrement

Minor: Alcoholism, Grief, Terminal illness, Miscarriage, and Pedophilia

anniefwrites's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

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

I'm not sure if this one was for me. I think I prefer books that are a bit more subtextual rather than quite so direct like this one. While there were significant obstacles in Adunni's life, I felt that the outcomes could veer into the predictable. It was still super interesting to read a story set in a country that I don't normally read about, especially as Adunni was learning the "Nigeria facts" along the way with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Blood, Injury/injury detail, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Excrement, Infertility, and Sexism

Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, and Pregnancy

amberinbookland's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Infertility, Infidelity, Grief, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Death

crykea's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

beautifully written! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Excrement, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Terminal illness, Vomit, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture

Spoiler

Adunni is forced to marry an old man (Morufu) at the age of 14. He regularly rapes her in an attempt to get her pregnant and has done this twice before with two other women. Adunni also undergoes a second near-assault with Big Daddy near the end of the novel.

The eating disorder is not an intentional one but rather the continuous mentioning that Adunni is starved by Big Madam. Big Daddy and Adunni's papa are alcoholics Adunni is bullied verbally, emotionally, and physically by Labake and Big Madam. She is bead reguarly and the beatings are described in detail. Big Madam is beaten physically by her husband regularly. There is classism directed at Adunni and the other workers from the rich women in the social club. They mock her English and accent. Adunni's mother dies of a terminal illness offscreen and grieves her throughout. Tia's mother also has a terminal illness that nearly kills her. Adunni's description of Big Madam could be considered fatphobic. There are mentions of excrement (and vomit) in Iya's home when

Spoiler

Iya shoves Adunni in the room to escape her father

and by the end of the novel when Tia asks if the beatings have stopped. There are mentions of pregnancy throughout the book. Adunni is expected to get pregnant with Morufu's baby. She takes a pill to negate pregnancy. Pregnancy is mentioned amongst her friends when she sees them and with her husband's other wives. Khadija is pregnant in the novel and

Spoiler

ends up dying due to complications with birth

. Tia is constantly teased about not having children

Spoiler

and decides she'd like to have children later in the novel after meeting Adunni

. SHe is tortured by some religious leaders under the guise of having a bath to help along the pregnancy. trafficking/slaver:

Spoiler

Adunni is trafficked by Mr. Kola, Iya's brother, when she is trying to run from Morufu. The majority of the novel takes place in this location she has been trafficked to where she works as a servant or 'chainless slave' as Adunni calls it.

ekmook's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Trafficking, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Injury/injury detail, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Slavery

penofpossibilities's review

emotional hopeful sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, and Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Miscarriage, and Cursing

Minor: Infertility, Police brutality, Vomit, Abortion, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

annaledbetter's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Death, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Slavery

Minor: Abortion and Excrement

Wow, what a fantastic read! Heartbreaking but also hopeful, Adunni just keeps getting up after being pushed down. I just had to keep reading to know how things turned out for her!

curatoriallyyours's review

challenging hopeful reflective tense 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? No

4.0

I struggled at first with this book - some truly awful things happen to the main character and I had to set it aside until I was feeling mentally stronger. It does get better - even though bad things happen in the second half of the book too, there is a more hopeful feeling once she has allies. There is a plot point in the second half of the book that was annoying to me - her innocence was over-done, in my opinion, when she was trying to work out what happened to Rebecca. Other incidences where she does not understand seem more contextually consistent but I found it hard to believe that she could not put two and two together to work out at least the base level of what had gone on. Even so, the book was compelling and I particularly enjoyed listening to the performance on audiobook, as it really brought life to the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual content, Sexism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Medical content, Injury/injury detail, Infertility, Grief, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Bullying

mmefish's review

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Painful. Frustrating. Shocking. It was hard to read but so worth it. Abi Daré somehow managed to end the novel on a light note, and I doubt I will ever forget it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Excrement, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Trafficking

Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, and Domestic abuse