Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

9 reviews

megelizabeth's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

This was very much a 'just okay' book for me. It deals relatively well with some important themes, and I enjoyed some of the developing relationships, but ultimately I struggled to really connect with the characters or the story. I also wasn't a fan of the writing style, and to me it really didn't feel authentic to the 90s setting (some reviewers have said that this highlights how things haven't really changed in that time, but I personally feel this message could have been achieved without sacrificing the sense of time).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Suicide, Death, Racism, Murder, Violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Homophobia, War, Sexual harassment, Blood, and Suicide attempt

hayleythegoose's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Police brutality, Hate crime, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, War, and Grief

Minor: Suicide attempt, Slavery, and Drug use

chloez's review

challenging emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime

Minor: Police brutality, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Bullying, Classism, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Grief, Slavery, and Racism

evieolive's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

5.0

Just as important as I expected but I was really happily surprised to see such flowery writing in a contemporary, I loved the style! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Infidelity, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Police brutality

Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Genocide, Death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Gun violence

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Antisemitism, Slavery, Body shaming, Mental illness, Grief, Drug abuse, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

kyrstin_p1989's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? No

4.0

This book focuses on a part of history that no other book I’ve read has — the Rodney King trials and subsequent uprising in LA in the 90’s. It follows a Black teenaged girl who lives a financially privileged life. She and her all white friends go to a fancy private school that’s only 10 miles away from the heart of the unrest that follows the not guilty verdict in the King police brutality case. The main character, Ashley, learns about her family, history, and what it means to be Black in America from her sister, her uncle and cousin, and the few other Black students who go to her school. A coming of age story that incorporates what it must be like to be young and Black in America — across the span of history. The book, while set in the 90’s, has parallels that teenagers today can draw from to understand the world around them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Violence, Genocide, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

_fallinglight_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

fantasyshelves's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Violence, Racism, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Body shaming, Abandonment, Hate crime, and Sexual content

brookey8888's review

emotional funny informative 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? Yes

4.75

I rounded this up because it’s so good, but the reason it isn’t just a five is I thought the writing style or the way it was written was a little weird. Like it would just jump to a flashback or like she was talking to us one or two times. Other then that this was so good. I really liked Ashley and the growth she went though. I liked  all the relationships she developed(family/friends/romantic). I like all that was discussed rather it was the heavier topics or just her growing up and being a teenager. I highly recommend this and can’t believe the 90s is now historical fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Vomit

katherinek's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are relatable and real. There were a lot of flashbacks that got a bit confusing at times. I never really understood Morgan’s character, but maybe that was the point. The ending was a little underwhelming but

Spoiler

I started tearing up when Jo went to jail. Also I wish we knew what happened with Lucía.

Overall it was a great book and there were times when I couldn’t put it down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury