Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

4 reviews

lady_elle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

eesti23's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.5

"This world is not the only home. This world is for practice to get things right."

"What the color is, who the daddy be, who the mama is don’t mean nothin’. We a family, carin’ for each other. Family make us strong in times of trouble. We all stick together, help each other out. That the real meanin’ of family. When you grow up, you take that family feelin’ with you.”

"You look at today, chil’. You say, ‘Thank you, Lawd, for everythin’ you gives me today.’ Then you worries about the next day when the next day come.”

I wasn't expecting to like The Kitchen House very much, but once I got all the characters figured out, I struggled to put it down at times. It is a reminder of how cruel we are to other humans and how kind we can be to them. The story was fast paced with plenty of highs and lows, twists and turns. I was heartbroken with the ending

(the death of Mama Mae)

and while I know there is a sequel, I wish it was about Lavinia.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Slavery

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Toxic relationship and Murder

booksanna's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

It was so intriguing and tense that I couldn’t stop reading. I wouldn’t say I liked it, but I needed to finish it because I needed to know the ending. But throughout the book all I was thinking who’s going to die next?

Half of the plot is just babies- having babies, making babies, birthing babies, dying babies, nursing babies, healing babies.

Also racial slurs and literally all male characters are trash people, except Will.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Slavery

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Torture, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Toxic relationship and Murder

celestereads's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Toxic relationship