Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz

7 reviews

preciouslittleingenue's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

Such a brave, beautifully vulnerable narrative. To allow oneself to relive such traumas enough to authentically replicate them for mass production to be read by thousands is just so brave. The Sapphlit interview with Jaquira Diaz was so enlightening and inspiring. The care she takes with herself and with her words, for the sake of the mental safety of those reading her stories, is so beautiful.

Her way of crafting her real life into almost a mythological tale, like La Llorona (who she mentions) is so fascinating and effective.

“My brother and I, we were the same: part monster, part mouse.” So incredibly demonstrative of how people who do horrible things are often cowards, and also shows the empathy Diaz has for even the people who hurt her the most. 


Regarding the woman terrorist who attacked as a radical form of protesting for Puerto Rican liberty:
“mentions…anything related to who she was or what she did. Instead, the headline mentions her fucking. Red. Lipstick.” Yup. That sounds about right. Obviously not that this woman was “in the right,” and I don’t think Jaquira thinks that either. But because it was a woman…all they see is the red lipstick. My rage FLARED when I heard that line. 

“…slowly, slowly, love you back to life.” What a beautiful sentiment. I absolutely know what she means.

Not to mention all the bi panic that was so enlightening to hear, her insight on racism/colorism, the way she touched upon the strange nuance of queerness in the military/navy…just so much good stuff. So very glad this was Sapphlit’s September book. Cannot wait to read her novel in progress. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, and Alcohol

Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs

earthtokb's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying

lidiaaa222's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Lesbophobia, Drug abuse, Cursing, Transphobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Vomit, Racial slurs, Blood, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Racism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Homophobia, Classism, Grief, Outing, Bullying, and Infidelity

abbie_'s review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

Absolutely loved this, one of the most powerful memoirs I’ve ever read. Díaz writes so sinuously, it flows like a novel and keeps you gripped until the very last page 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Colonisation, Vomit, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug abuse, Racism, and Suicide attempt

indiarose8's review

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

Loved the poetic writing but it was a rough read. Not for before bedtime reading.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, and Toxic relationship

whatannikareads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

4.5!

although jaquira isn't 70 or 80 years old, her life up to this point is heavy, and she has a whole lotta stories in her arsenal. you are completely sucked into all of the characters and their stories, as well as jaquira's journey navigating her own struggles with addiction, abusive parents, etc. it's a raw and blunt telling of what it's like living in puerto rico and miami primarily during the 80s and 90s, and how history has multiple ways of affecting the intricacies of our own lives: from concepts as broad as colonialism and slavery to specific ones as bloodlines and living environments. a really captivating read that makes you want to read more.

my only critique is that she has a tendency to jump back and forth between timelines; she'll foreshadow relationships with a specific person, for example, and it happens often, so i found myself being confused at what age of hers we're at. one chapter we'll be at age 18 at this point with a person, and then we'll go back to 14 and i'll have to remember where the relationship with said person was at at the time. it jumbled up my experience a bit reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

lostinanovelidea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Physical abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, and Infidelity