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abbywj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Antisemitism, and Medical content
Moderate: Police brutality and Religious bigotry
Minor: Self harm, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt
joshkiba13's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
This was my second Jodi Picoult novel, after Mad Honey. This novel likewise explores complex social issues by way of a court trial, but it was a whole different ballgame. In Mad Honey we as readers were not present during the murder at the start of the novel, and details of the victim's death come throughout the book. This time, we are present as one of our main characters struggles, but fails to save a baby's life. The question here as readers is not if Ruth is innocent or guilty, but whether she can escape the heavy iron grip that racism has on her life.
This was a very heavy, saddening story. We follow three characters: Ruth, a black delivery nurse; Kennedy, her white defense attorney; and Turk, a white supremacist, the father of the baby Ruth failed to save. Each character had their own unique voice (apart from each one having a separate narrator on the audiobook). Ruth is optimistic about the world but hurting; Kennedy is enthusiastic and passionate; Turk is angry and wrathful. Each character was written brilliantly.
One thing I wished for throughout the whole book was to see a little bit more of Turk; as horrible as his mindsets were, he was a very troubled and unique character to read about. His life was intriguing. It wasn't his story in the end, however, and I really enjoyed the relationships portrayed between Ruth, her sister, her son, an old friend, and Kennedy her lawyer.
This novel taught me that racism isn't just discrimination, it's privilege inherent (or missing) in our society based on race. One quote that stuck out to me was that ignorance is a privilege too, that white people get to enjoy. It's easy to underestimate the struggle that people of color in America go through daily when you're not the one experiencing it---when you're the one benefitting from it, even unintentionally. It's a hard truth to face, but such an important one.
I was sad and feeling heavy every time I finished listening to the book, but it was absolutely worth it. The wrap-up of the story did not at all go like I expected, and it was very emotional for me. If all of Jodi's books are this fraught with tension and emotion, I think I'll be reading her for years.
Graphic: Child death, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Suicide
katreena's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
a_beautiful_soup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, and Classism
kszar's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Grief
kades26's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Transphobia and Antisemitism
izzy_v's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicide, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, and Murder
lcl_reads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
As I was reading, I felt a bit conflicted about rating the book. I really appreciated this part of the author's note at the end: " I was writing to my own community - white people- who can very easily point to a neo-Nazi skinhead and say he's racist... but who can't recognize racism in themselves." I think my conflicted feelings are because this book is not written for me.
This book was bold in its pursuit and the amount of research and thought Picoult put into the topic was evident to me.
Some critiques I've read of the book are that Ruth's story is not as developed and I actually appreciated that. I would have loved to have more of the respectibility politics, colorism, and relationships between Ruth, her mother, and her sister explored. I also think Picoult was smart in identifying that that was not her story to tell nor was that the point of this particular book.
I think it is important to remember that no book can be everything, so, yes, this book is not everything, but it is the story I think was right for Picoult to tell to the audience she has, from her position, with the support of the research she did and for what it is, it was executed as well as it could have possibly been.
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Suicide
inirac's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Self harm, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
kanderson246's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
Graphic: Child death, Racism, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Classism