Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Ga als een rivier by Shelley Read

39 reviews

zreadz's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I enjoyed this book. It was tough to get through the tragedy of Victoria’s life at first and it left me fearing for the worst at each page turn, but I think it wrapped up nicely in the end. I really enjoyed the authors descriptive language when talking about nature and the wilderness, tying these elements with love, fate and destiny. I just wish the pacing was a little better. The story went in a different direction than I thought it would based on the first half of the book but I still enjoyed it! It was a nice and heartfelt read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and War

Minor: Car accident and Alcohol

heather_renae's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Hate crime

cmklaft'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I truly enjoyed this story.  I was very invested in Tories life path, felt her pain and emotions.  The "flooding" of Iola seemed a very insignificant part of the story in my opinion. But still a good read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

elin_asplund's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage and Violence

fkshg8465's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-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

4.75

A story that brings life to completion, and a story with so much more to be told. One that lets my imagination fill in the gaps most satisfactorily.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

victor_constantine's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

2.5

It felt like parts of the stories dragged on and other parts were too quickly brushed aside. I wish the author had spent a little more time building up characters towards the beginning, and the ending seemed very abrupt. It feels like the author was just trying to set it up for a sequel, but it was deeply unsatisfying. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Racism

Moderate: Hate crime, Miscarriage, and War

sarahbsews's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

alyssatuininga's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

rhiadav1's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow…….. just wow. I finished reading this book in tears. It is such a powerful story about overcoming loss and hardship. I loved the character development for Victoria - she is inspiring. 

I highly highly recommend reading this book. I was hooked from the first page and didn’t put it down. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Hate crime

Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Racial slurs

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

I have about 4K words of thoughts about this that are more appropriate for elsewhere, but I am absolutely baffled that other reviews didn't mention the fact that this book uses violence against a Native person to prompt personal growth from a white woman. Wil shows up, gets called slurs, has no characterization,

gets Tori pregnant, is vaguely magical, and then dies in less than 100 pages. He only exists to be pined for as like an ethereal being. He is written as essentially something other than human who also provided a baby.

It made me REALLY uncomfortable. Also, I felt like the end was a whole different story that got tacked on. I just cannot believe Read talked to Native folks before writing this book, as she states in her acknowledgements. Because I really feel like she just went and checked off all the tropes of writing about Native people in the kind of "magical Negro" trope. The character is there to further the story, but they're not really a full person. I'm just really mad about this. First time I've been burned by a blind date with a book. Sigh. The action kind of trickles out too. 
*bought at Analogue Books & Records in Pueblo, CO

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War