Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

99 reviews

moonbloomandgrow's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This was my book club’s pick for August and I honestly don’t think I’d have stuck it out and read it all if it wasn’t. Unfortunately I struggled to get into this book and found myself googling vocabulary and cultural references too much to fully feel like I could get stuck in. I did enjoy the camaraderie that eventually grows between the women of the village and admired their strength and quick wit but the dark humour was a little bit hard for me to take given then amount of abuse and trauma the book delves into. It’s definitely one that I wish I’d read the trigger warnings for before reading but it was eye-opening to learn about how things are in remote villages such as the one featured in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

amanda_reads89's review

challenging hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

mximlay's review

challenging dark funny inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

imchelsi's review

dark funny 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? Yes

4.0

A funny and heartfelt look at the caste system and the injustices women face everyday.  I thoroughly enjoyed this story of women taking hold of their lives.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Classism

archiebb's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This was such a good book. I worried at first that it was gonna be all “see women are so catty” but that was really flipped on its head and instead the complexities of friendship between women was really well done. It was funny and the plot was always unexpected and gripping. The voice acting of the narrator was an added benefit.
 
My main criticism come from some harmful tropes/bigotry: fatphobia is throughout and ableism

the husband faking blindness is like a very common and harmful trope about disabled ppl faking it.

Spoilers ahead

The love story that the MC got to experience was nice too and subtle, it wasn’t the main focus of the story at all. 
I loved seeing the friendship between Geeta and Saloni reunited and made more of a main focus. That and the ever surprising Farah.

Interesting comments about how the micro loans don’t mean that the women are not still beholden to patriarchy. 

When Saloni comes back to warn Geeta and she finds that Geeta is back under her ex’s spell. Oof did i feel that as a guttural punch. It is SO HARD to watch someone you care about be drawn in by their abuser.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship

rosietomyn's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

burnedstory's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? No

5.0

I loved it. Shroff has acquired the feat of telling such a heavy story, portraying such heavy issues in such a humours but impactful way. A real page turner. Often when talked about India casteism is not talked about, it's like an unspoken devil in the nation but the way it was written in the story, I applaud it (Here I understand my privelige of being an upper caste person and not knowing even the tip of discrimination). The humour in the story in my opinion is commendable, shows the strength and courage of these women. Shroff says, she wanted to honour the Bandit Queen, Phoolan Mallah and I think she acheived that in a wonderful way. One of the major takeaways for me from the book was the power of female friendship, how these women stood behind each other warmed my heart. As we talk about feminism in the modern world, somewhere we forget about women like Geeta, Saloni, Farah and co. So I am very grateful to get to read their story. One where they are not put on pedestals, one where they are human and make wrong decisions and face the consequences of it. It's beautiful to read.
If "I support women's rights and women's wrongs" could be a book this very well might be it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Murder, and Gaslighting

tayloramazing's review against another edition

funny 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

3.5

Campy, predictable 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child abuse and Classism

sskinner155's review

dark funny tense 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

Idiots trying to get away with murder. The type of feminism where you hate women but hate men more. If someone says they have a dark sense of humor have them read this book. Absolutely loved, made me laugh out loud.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, and Torture

mozumozumozu's review against another edition

dark funny 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal cruelty