Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

An Unconditional Freedom by Alyssa Cole

8 reviews

jess_justmaybeperfect's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Racism, Death, Sexism, Confinement, Cursing, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Torture

beccaand's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Slavery, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Sexual content

unsuccessfulbookclub's review

dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• 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

An Unconditional Freedom is the third and final installment in the Loyal League series and perhaps the slowest moving plot while also being the most stressful to read? In this book, we follow Daniel, a free Black man who was training to be a lawyer when he was abducted and enslaved, and Janeta, a free Afro-Latina woman from Cuba who is the daughter of an enslaver and his second wife.

The stress in this book comes from all sides. First, Janeta starts out in this story working for the Confederacy (!!!). We are in her head so we know how she begins to understand the truth of her existence and the world around her but it is so painful to read - for her, but also because she is supposed to be working with Daniel as a Union operative…

…and Daniel is dealing with intense PTSD due to his time being enslaved as well as a VERY STRESSFUL job. He trusts no one, which is great because he really shouldn’t trust Janeta. Like at all. 

This is a rare slow burn where I was really worried this couple was going to get together before *I* was ready. I spent so much of the book wondering how Alyssa Cole was going to bring these two people together and get me on board with it. And she succeeded, but not a page too soon!!

👍🏻RECOMMENDED! I have so much more to say about this series as a whole - look for a deeper dive/series review from me soon as I digest. That said, I enthusiastically recommend this book. These are not light reads but they are important ones. Alyssa Cole’s emotional labor cannot be overstated, nor can the talent she displays in this series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Death, Racism, Slavery, Violence, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Moderate: Sexual content

barefootsong's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

I read (and liked) the first two in this series quite a while ago now, but I put this one off because reading about Daniel (who seemed annoying in Elle's flashbacks and would be dealing with PTSD in this story) sounded less appealing and then his love interest is a Confederate spy and Cole had said this book broke her. Now that I finally read this, though, I think it's my favorite of the series! I fell in love with both Daniel and Janeta almost immediately and I loved reading about how they came to terms with their pasts and learned new ways of being themselves. This is dark and complicated, but it's also hopeful. Alyssa Cole is amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Slavery

Moderate: Violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse

mandkips's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, and Confinement

Moderate: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Racial slurs

e_flah's review

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I really enjoyed the concepts and non-romance portions of An Unconditional Freedom but wanted more from the romance itself. The story is largely about Janeta and Daniel's mission for the Loyal League to meet a British official in Mississippi who may be supportive of the Union cause. The romance is a slow burn that I would've loved to see more of before the story wrapped up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Racial slurs

PTSD

joymhb's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Slavery

amibo's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Torture, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping