Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Mothers

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

12 reviews

abbruzzese's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

Oh girl, we have known littlebit love. That littlebit of honey left in an empty jar that traps the sweetness in your mouth long enough to mask your hunger. We have run tongues over teeth to savor that last littlebit as long as we could, and in all our living, nothing has starved us more.

written so nicely. compelling story, and though i never felt attached to any of the characters, i appreciate the way they're written. very human, flawed enough but not so much that they're despicable.

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stacylaughs's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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bookishbeccahale's review against another edition

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emotional 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

4.0

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jessereadsthings's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Really interesting story! My only complaint is I’m not sure how I feel about the ending.

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bridgetbry's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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jesshindes's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective tense 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

4.0

I really enjoyed 'The Mothers', even more I think than 'The Vanishing Half', which I read and liked last year. As with that second book, I think Bennett does particularly well with characterisation and relationships: in this case, she sets up three central characters, (Nadia, Luke and Aubrey) all teenagers when the book begins, and traces their relationships with each other and with the church community where they meet. She deals with painful experiences sensitively and plausibly, writes a diverse cast of characters (in terms of age, sexuality, class, dis/ability as well as race) that feels real rather than forced, and her style is careful and precise as well as very readable. This is one of those books where you really care about what the characters mean to each other (I particularly valued the weight given to Nadia and Aubrey's friendship); where you see the ways they can hurt each other and wish they wouldn't but understand that it's life and of course, that's how relationships sometimes work. All in all, good read, and I'll look forward to whatever she publishes next.

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chloe_hazel's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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

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zoebill96's review against another edition

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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? Yes

3.0

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laurataylor's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad fast-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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wellreadmegs's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

Like The Vanishing Half, this book was slow to start and took me a while to get into. But I'd say about 75-100 pages in we were finally getting to a more interesting plot and the last 100 pages or so flew by. I like that the author isn't afraid to talk about difficult subjects and the complexities of life. I wish the ending included more about Nadia's life in her 30s and 40s because it felt abrupt. Motherhood and mothers are complex & this book is no exception.

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