Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Tjenestepiken til Omicunlé

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Tjenestepiken til Omicunlé by Rita Indiana

6 reviews

wowimreadingagain's review against another edition

adventurous reflective 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

3.5

I liked this book for some of the themes about time travel, ocean conservation, and transgenderism. I dunno, maybe it’s just because I’m trans, but I found the concept and description of Rainbow-Brite very interesting. The whole mythology of the book surrounding deities of the ocean, etc was new for me but was done well. Don’t let the long negatives section in the next paragraph fool you, I still have a positive opinion of this book overall.

I had a hard time with some of the explicit sexual mentions, even the non-SA stuff, but I have a low tolerance for that anyway. I was still able to make it through the book fine. My biggest problem with this book is the very quick jumping of perspectives. In each there are a few characters that I lost track of because the book is too short to establish them. We spend time in

dystopian near-future (2027 I think?), the 16th century, and around 1990-2005.

That’s a lot to process for one book. Also I agree with someone else’s review that too much time is spent on the perspective of the more villainous main character. It feels like the first 30% is Acilde, 50%

Argenis

, then the last 20% is some of both. Finally, the ending was too quick and did leave me with some questions. I respect the book’s choice to

not give detail about the effects of Acilde/Giorgio’s actions,

but I struggle to understand the role of

Argenis

in the story beyond the one mention

from Acilde about him being involved with the government in some way in Acilde’s time.

It seems like all he was

was a shithead who also went back in time somehow? Why was he allowed to stay with the rest of them for so long? Why did they chose that moment to finally kick him out?

But the parts of the ending I do understand, I like very much. I appreciate that Acilde

just gets to chill as Giorgio with a wife he loves doing work that brings them together.

Content Warnings

dreareads_'s review against another edition

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dark funny fast-paced

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

3.5

More like a 3.5 for queer Latinx ✨

(My review is a message I sent to a dear friend of mine about the book)

I have many thoughts! But mainly I think it was a very purposefully unnerving story that forces you to be uncomfortable. I didn’t like the trans rep in the beginning (tbh I think this is an overall issue of a cis person not understanding transgender people (although idk if it was the author or the translator at fault)).

A very interesting approach to the history of the Dominican Republic. The combination of Caribbean indigenous and African religions wasn’t my favorite. Almost a bit orientalist tbh.

But overall kind of love how uncomfortable it made me feel from the characters, to the political commentary, to the ending.

A very unique experience

Content Warnings

litprof's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Brimming with ideas, characters, temporal shifts, other transitions, provocations, musical and artistic allusions, and imagery. Disappointingly little content about the ocean or Santería though, and I found the racism, homophobia, rape fantasies, and graphic violence gratuitous, while the extensive cast was difficult to follow.

Content Warnings