Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Popisho by Leone Ross

22 reviews

savvylit's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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

5.0

Popisho is magical realism at its finest. This novel is sensual, laugh-out-loud funny, and completely spellbinding. I instantly fell in love with the setting and all of the people. Every single character was palpably complex in a deeply believable way. I was stunned when I realized that the story takes place over just one day because so much happened. And yet it never seemed like there was too much detail. Basically, Popisho was perfectly paced and populated.

I loved this book so much that I don't even know what to say anymore except a jumble of words and phrases! Popisho is luscious, lyrical, beautifully written, wholly unique, and contains a world that I already want to revisit. Highly, highly recommend to any and all fans of magical realism!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Miscarriage, and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Suicide

Minor: Child death, Misogyny, and Rape

mle11's review against another edition

funny hopeful mysterious

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

manaledi's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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

3.25

I had so many moments where I was like what the hell did I just read I need to talk to someone what is going on and why and is there a deeper metaphor or is shit just strange. I feel like you could write an entire thesis on this book and yet I still can't decide what the lessons are. It sticks with you though from the three buttocks to the pum-pums to the moths. I'm still also wondering if indigent here is a play on indigenous. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Pregnancy

miss_elease's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-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

5.0

the writing was everything: textured, corporeal, cloying, silvered, golden, worshipping, etc etc etc. I feel like it’s no coincidence that the first poem I’ve felt the urged to write in a long time (half-sleep/awake at 2am) was because I’d been reading this for the past day and a half.

a book that made me realize that sometimes I really just need some good ass magical realism in my life. the world building was a trusting process; us readers having to trust Leone and Leone in turn trusting us. through that trust, wishing the best for popisho and all of its residents

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual content, and Classism

Moderate: Death and Homophobia

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial  

This was a fever dream and a bit hard to follow for my pea-brain. However, take this with a grain of salt because I am trying to diversify my genres and I have not read TOO much magical realism, surrealism or fabulism. I am continuing to dip my toes deeper and deeper in, but I am still at the beginning of my journey lol! 

I appreciated the vivid illustrations of the culture on the island of Popisho, from the fruits to the land, to the sounds/music, and beyond. Ross did such a beautiful job of writing with such animation and delight. I will definitely check out more of Ross's work! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Miscarriage

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Child death, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism

thewellbitch's review against another edition

challenging emotional lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

I don't know what to say about this book. It's unique and I'm glad to have read it because it's a whole-ass experience, but at the same time I don't think I can recommend it because I can't think of anyone who would enjoy it lmao. The writing is poetic and musical, the characters are vibrant, the plot was interesting, but it was still hard. Listening to the audiobook at the same time I was reading was definitely the right choice for me, I couldn't have finished it if it was one or the other.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

theinkwyrm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-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

3.0

Honestly kind of disappointed because I’d expected to love this but I really just didn’t. This had some elements that I really loved (the cors, the pum-pums, the food, the overall lore and vibe of Popisho), but that didn’t really make up for the things I didn’t like. This book was just too long and could have used some editing. It’s so long and the narrative meanders so much that it’s really easy to forget that the main plot line is taking place over the course of a day. I can understand that it meanders so much because Ross is having to lay the groundwork so the reader can understand what’s been leading up to the events of this day, but it really needed some tightening up because the pace absolutely crawled. Also, I like magical realism, but not when it gets so magical that it loses the realism like it did in this book. It’s just not quite the right fit for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Homophobia, and Blood

faithe's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Alcohol

myk_yeah's review against another edition

inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book was an absolute joy. Such a magical and enthralling reading experience. Be prepared not to understand everything the first (or fifth) time you're introduced to something, it really benefits you to be along for the ride. Such an outstanding book and like nothing I've ever read before. Loved every character, how the POVs were done, and how the story and the world kept you guessing.
The only thing that was annoying about this book was all the gender essentialism. I noted ableism on the part of the author as well, but didn't make a note of where it showed up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Ableism, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

audreyxine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

This book was so brilliant, so challenging, and so bizarre. 

My biggest criticism is the length. I would have preferred about 50 less pages. The momentum was hard to keep up, especially with all the jumping around between characters. 

For anyone thinking about picking this one up, I strongly recommend binging it. It needs to be a fever dream in order to make sense.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism