Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

62 reviews

dianakamau's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and War

foxo_cube's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.75

I loved this book!

I will start of by saying I know very little about the Nigerian civil war - this was my first time reading about it at all, but I am grateful that the author included a list of books she used as reference material because I am interested in reading non-fiction on the topic now.

The characters within this were, I think, brilliantly crafted. They were introduced, typically, with a basic set of traits, but develop into people who feel real: people with idiosyncracies, and prejudices they trip themselves up on, and fallibility. There are no wholly good or bad people, and the feelings characters have towards each other are often complex.

The interaction between small-scale, interpersonal drama and traumas and the big-scale social tensions is very well-balanced, I felt, and the responses to the horrors of the war (and pre-war massacres) shown by the characters feel thought-out.

The ending felt almost anti-climactic, I will say, but then I suppose that's pretty realistic too, isn't it? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Genocide, Infidelity, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

iloche's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

darcyparcy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

4.0

This book is an absolute whirlwind. Complicated, morally grey characters, the backdrop of war and genocide, the constant flurry of emotions. I really, really enjoyed it, and it shed so much light on a dark piece of history that the western world prefers to ignore. Adichie's beautiful writing is a plus as well

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and War

kellyofcali's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

I was lent this book, and I'm so happy because I loved it! While fiction, it was set amidst the Nigerian Civil War, which I did not know much about, an encouraged me to explore that history. On top of that, the wonderful, strong characters and their interpersonal story was gripping, sad, and real. Highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, and War

Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

brogan7's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and War

Very graphic rape scene

aseel_reads's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

this book is haunting. i am so glad it exists, the story needs to be told but i definitely don't feel comfortable rating it. the only thing i can say is that the writing was phenenomal, just completely captivating, it didn't feel like you were reading at all. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

rbacon's review

dark emotional reflective 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

This is very literary and I feel like that style made it longer for me when reading it. However the content and topics covered are so interesting and hard hitting, particularly reminding the Western world and Britain of our history actually being pretty shady since forever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

rchristine11's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

I would not recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Excrement, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Animal death and Abortion

perfectphlaws's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

It was a well written book, but reminded me why I don't usually stray too far from romance. So much rape. War is ugly indeed, maybe I'll just read about it in the news rather than rehashing past horrors. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail