Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

19 reviews

hailstorm3812's review

dark 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

3.75

This has such great characters and vibes that it carries it through a lackluster mystery. I love Louise and her friends and journey, and the rich painting the author set. I do wish structurally the second half had gotten another editing pass. It started to feel like things were just happening without adding more to the mystery or raising the stakes.

I really don't think Celia had to die. Louise was already desperate to stop him and on to him, and didn't need extra motivation and her ouiji plan was so odd. I feel like we set up some mystery around Celia's boy and Josie's disappearances and her original kidnapping that we were going to play into but didn't. I think kidnapping one or both of the twins would have been better to up the stakes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Racism, Stalking, Murder, Violence, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Misogyny, Gun violence, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Alcohol and Death of parent

heather667's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexism, Trafficking, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Grief, Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Police brutality, and Violence

Moderate: Torture and Rape

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, War, Cultural appropriation, and Adult/minor relationship

zoepagereader's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I had high hopes for this going in, how could I not when it’s a historical fiction mystery set New York during the Harlem Renaissance? But unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. I did not fully under any of the characters and felt that all of them had only been written at the surface of their stories. I still don’t really understand the motive for murder and still think it should have been someone else. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Gore

Minor: Body horror

thirdeyeangel23's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I’m obsessed with this world! Louise is known as a hero in Harlem after escaping her kidnapper in her teens. Life has calmed down for Louise until young girls are suddenly being left for dead outside of her workplace. In a turn of events, Louise is forced into investigating this case with local law enforcement and nothing is as it seems. This mystery is brimming with the charm of the Harlem Renaissance while delivering fast paced twists and turns. I love Louise and her band of misfits!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Murder, Child death, Alcohol, Death, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Homophobia, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny

venusdapoopiehead's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

i could definitely tell that this was a debut novel, the writing felt very simplistic, and even a little flat at times. there was also some times where the author seemed to do more telling not showing, rather than showing not telling, which isn’t to say her writing was bad-i just think the author’s writing style is very typical for a new writer to have, however i definitely think she has room to grow and i might give her other books a try to see if her writing style may have improved. but overall tho, good story, good plot, just good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexism, Stalking, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Child death, Racial slurs, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol and Cursing

queerfelicity's review against another edition

mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Stalking and Sexual assault

gothnailcare's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-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

2.0

I so wanted to like this book. The characters were lovable and I admired the author's dedication to describing clothes and social spaces, but the book's pacing and the shifts in narrative style worked against the story, page after page. I am not the kind of mystery reader who makes demands of the author with regards to who knows what & when they're given the agency to figure it out. Is the reader given information to determine who the killer is before the detective? Or does the detective know something the reader doesn't? Whatever the answer, I am usually happy to be along for the ride and observing at any distance as long as the narrative plays these cards well, but I can't say I felt this book succeeded.

Additionally, there were a number of loose ends I assumed would be tied up at the end of the book, but explanations for these never materialized. I have to assume that some of this is done for the purpose of setting up the next book. But if I'm not sure whether a book is setting up a second novel or whether it's littered with red herrings, well...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, and Hate crime

Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and War

emzhay's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

The last 100 pages dragged on and really brought the overall story down. I also  didn’t really like Louise, especially towards the end. She made so many decisions that made no sense and so many dangerous choices with no concern to anyone else. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity

delphine_'s review against another edition

dark sad fast-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

4.0

This book drew me in immediately and I am happy it did.

I knew going in that there would be an established queer (wlw) relationship, and while it of course wasn't the focus of the book one bit, oh how their interactions made my heart soften and feel happy. The love they describe about each other. Perfect.

I loved the atmosphere. I loved Louise defying tropes and needing no one to save her but herself from the get-go. The prohibition, the speakeasies, the 20s, and all from the point of view of too forgotten Black people, but in a non-romanticised way, and still, very romantic. The book is beautiful, it's alive, it's people and pain and dancing until you forget everything at the Zenith, and it's familial issues led by a main character that's honest strong.

I'm a bit dissatisfied with the third act that I thought dragged on for way too long as there wasn't much else to figure out. A part of it hit me like a gut punch but I felt like it wasn't really in line with the rest of what we'd seen of the main character's spirit. I feel like more could have been done there so we reached a less heartbreaking and more interesting, more climactic ending.

That said I loved it, I'm just not sure I'll be in a hurry to pick up the next book because it didn't quite stick the landing for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Emotional abuse

agiali's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

*:･ﾟ175/ 108 

This novel had a really strong start but ended up losing me for the last 75%. I didn't guess the twist, but once the main scene happened it fell so flat. It wasn't as epic as a normal built-up climax would be, and a lot of questions were left unanswered. I am aware this is going to be a series so perhaps more will be answered in book two. I don't have plans on reading it, but it was a lot easier to get through than most readers have said. The writing didn't bother me as much as I anticipated, since that is the main critique in most reviews, and I found it a pretty quick read as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Kidnapping and Racism

Minor: Racial slurs and Death of parent