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seekittyread's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I find it hard to write a review for this book because it truly made me think about so many things while reading it. Forced motherhood, abandonment, betrayal, sexual orientation, depression....I feel the list could go on, but I can't find the words. All in all it feels like a handbook for explaining why as a society we should be more understanding. Let people love who they love and marry who they want, don't judge people for the color of their skin or the place they were born, be kinder to people because you never know what their life has been like, and don't force women to carry and birth babies they don't want. I don't know why I didn't give this five stars, but for me there was just something missing I can't put to words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Self harm, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape and Miscarriage
corinneb98's review
dark
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Moderate: Homophobia and Miscarriage
Minor: Bullying
jenn_the_unicorn's review
challenging
reflective
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Rape, and Pedophilia
rigbees's review
challenging
emotional
sad
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
4.5
Lately, I've been skeptical of trauma novels recommended to me, particularly if the person recommending them to me doesn't share an identity group with the author. This isn't because the trauma novel is bad or that the story shouldn't be shared. Rather, I'm skeptical about the way in which we consume trauma for entertainment. Even when an author is discussing painful experiences, the audience is not always there to listen.
Patsy is a novel that's about trauma and (eventually) healing from it. The novel follows Patsy, the title character, as she leaves her daughter in Jamaica and overstays her travel visa to the United States. Patsy experiences difficult challenges and lacks community support, both in Jamaica and as she gets established in NYC. The bulk of the book is about the way she struggles through life, managing to continue moving forward but failing to thrive. However, by the end of the novelshe starts to find healing through her relationship with Claudette, when she is able to embrace aspects of her identity that she's suppressed since being assaulted as a teenager. Alongside Patsy's story is woven in the experiences of the child she left behind, Tru.
This book is well-written. I am glad that I read it, as it talks frankly about difficult experiences of racism, homophobia and trauma. It is written, in my opinion, as a novel aimed at those who have experienced similar circumstances. I think that it's a very good novel overall, and one that enriched my life in reading it.
Patsy is a novel that's about trauma and (eventually) healing from it. The novel follows Patsy, the title character, as she leaves her daughter in Jamaica and overstays her travel visa to the United States. Patsy experiences difficult challenges and lacks community support, both in Jamaica and as she gets established in NYC. The bulk of the book is about the way she struggles through life, managing to continue moving forward but failing to thrive. However, by the end of the novel
This book is well-written. I am glad that I read it, as it talks frankly about difficult experiences of racism, homophobia and trauma. It is written, in my opinion, as a novel aimed at those who have experienced similar circumstances. I think that it's a very good novel overall, and one that enriched my life in reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Racism
Minor: Hate crime
carlybellesbooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia
balladofreadingqueer's review
adventurous
reflective
sad
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
4.25
It follows Patsy who leaves her daughter Tru in Jamaica and travels to the US to be with a women she loved as a teenager. Although the relationship with Cicely does not pan out as Patsy planned and life in the US is hard and gruelling, Patsy stays. Tru, left behind in Jamaica, grows up under the shadow of her mother’s absence.
Centring on family, this book examines the generational pain of motherly abandonment as Mama G abandoned Patsy to God and Patsy leaves Tru for America. The lack of acceptance or difficulties of living as queer black women in Jamaica and the US are explored throughout. Both Patsy and Tru explore and struggle to come to terms with their queerness. This is set to a backdrop of poverty, immigration and football.
Although the eponymous character makes choices that are judged by family and society, the character is written in a way that encourages understanding and empathy with Patsy as she struggles to find her place.
It didn’t end with the happy reunion that I wanted and I wish that I knew more about Tru and Patsy reconnecting but it was a more realistic ending for their relationship.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
sophieh's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Transphobia
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
thenovelmaura's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I had mixed feelings about this book, but I will say that since I'm not a big fan of character-driven stories, the fact that this consistently held my attention is testament to Dennis-Benn's evocative writing style. I've never been so aware of my passport privilege as when I was reading this book. I've traveled abroad without thinking twice about whether I'd be able to return to the U.S. Filling out job applications also took on a new weight; answering "yes" to "are you authorized to work in the U.S." is so easy for me and totally impossible for Patsy. Although a work of fiction, I loved the insight this book gave me into the Jamaican immigrant experience in the early 2000s. As you can tell by the content warnings, Dennis-Benn doesn't sugarcoat the hardships that Patsy and her fellow immigrants go through, either before or after they arrive in the U.S.
As for what didn't work for me (and my critiques are rooted in personal preference, as I mentioned earlier), the pacing of the book was slow, and the heavy topics meant I needed to take a lot of breaks. I thought the ending was abrupt and wrapped everything up in a way that didn't match the tone of the rest of the story. All in all, this one wasn't my favorite, but I'm still glad I read it and it gave our book club a lot to talk about!
As for what didn't work for me (and my critiques are rooted in personal preference, as I mentioned earlier), the pacing of the book was slow, and the heavy topics meant I needed to take a lot of breaks. I thought the ending was abrupt and wrapped everything up in a way that didn't match the tone of the rest of the story. All in all, this one wasn't my favorite, but I'm still glad I read it and it gave our book club a lot to talk about!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, and Child abuse
Colorismrachaeldamms's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, and Self harm
christiereads23's review
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-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
4.0
This was a beautiful novel about motherhood, identity, immigration, love, and finding yourself. Patsy makes the hard decision to leave her five year old daughter Tru behind to finally have an opportunity to live with the woman she has loved since she was young. However, things don't go as planned, and the novel follows Patsy and Tru over 10+ years as each is struggling with their identity and with the feelings of guilt or anger they have at leaving and being abandoned. I did think that the beginning was very slow, and it took me a bit to get invested. However, the author did a wonderful job of describing the aspects of Patsy and Tru's lfie so that you really felt as if you knew them. Even if I didn't agree with some decisions that were made, I understood why it was necessary for the character to do. The ending, after spending so long seeing Patsy and Tru struggle with their relationship, was rushed, and I would have loved to seen their relationship build up instead of getting a "flash-forward to the happy ending" that we did get. Overall, this was a beautiful story with characters you will just fall in love with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, and Rape