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k_winchester's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Call it 3.5???? I guess???
Tbh, very conflicted on how to rate this. I really enjoyed reading it overall - it drew me in, I really enjoyed reading so much of it and found myself thinking about it a lot while I wasn't reading it and staying up waaay too late to read just a little bit more. There's alot of beautiful parts and beautiful things here.
But... there were also a lot of problematic things (not even counting the extremely problematic things I've now seen about the book and author - which I didn't know before/somehow missed when this book first came out and was crazy popular). But problematic things that I noticed like... pretty well every female black character is described as being large/fat. (Like there's no other body type for a black woman? If one was described, I missed it.) The way the language was written/the flow for Abileen and Minny was initially a little hard to get into, but once I got it, it was unique and interesting HOWEVER when I realized the author was a white lady (again, didn't know this going into reading or if i did know once upon a time, have since forgot) and it felt reallllly not okay for a white woman to be doing that. There was also a bit of a white savior element to the story at several points, which again was reallllly not great to see. Among some other technically "smaller" things that nonetheless made me go "yikes".
Without writing an entire essay (...too late? š) there was *a lot* to appreciate, enjoy, empathize, laugh, have deep heartbreak over, and a lot of really good message that I can't discount - I actually loved a lot of it (hence the higher rating). BUT there were also a lot of Not Good things - mainly being that a privileged white lady is the one presenting them, which is sooooo YIKES - that I absolutely can't discount that either.
I guess... split the difference, and call it a tentative, super conflicted 3.5, I guess??? š š š
Graphic: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Grief
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, and Injury/Injury detail
rchulin1's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jhbandcats'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
The story is compelling and funny and awful all at the same time. The characters, even the minor ones, are fully developed. Some are despicable and some are lovable, some are angry or timid or miserable or hopeful, and all are given a voice.
That was such a terrible period in America and Iām appalled and frightened by the resurgence of racist fear mongering. Like most books that teach an important lesson about humanity, this is likely to be read by the people who need it least and not at all by the people it would benefit.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism
michaelion'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
4.0
I don't know what impact this book left on me. I assume an important one. I still love the book despite the controversy, maybe also in spite of it. My grandmother was born in Jackson. She and Mae Mobley would've been a week apart, if they were both alive and real, respectively. Her side of the story, what would've been my grandmother's I mean, isn't shown, but maybe someone story she would've known was. Maybe her auntie or cousin or someone who she went to church with, had her mother not moved out of the South before she was three months old. I don't know. The story's very real. Whether or not it connects to you personally, who doesn't have a soft spot for those?
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Dementia, and Suicide attempt
edesia_guest's review
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
dez_blair's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Miscarriage
Minor: Mental illness
theheartisanaro's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts