Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

35 reviews

leahb88's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A reflection on motherhood - the relationship between mothers and daughters, familial obligations, and the intergenerational impacts of parenting. I loved the writing style and the introspective, stream of consciousness narration. 
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kris_hayward's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I think this is one I'd like to re-read & reflect on at a later date. First book in a while to leave lingering thought threads
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catandherbooks's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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kerrence30's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed the dark and emotional relationship between the main character and her mother. It was horrific at times, far from ideal and you do feel genuinely sorry for her. At times an (acceptable) struggle to read. The balance between disliking her mother and acknowledging her responsibility of looking after her is portrayed so well. It really encapsulates how painful and stressful it is to look after a parent in need, but the added layer of their difficult relationship is what makes this such a worthwhile read. You feel every pang of hatred and betrayal.
I listened on audiobook, and although it was well read I did need to re-listen at times. I think this was more to do with the irregular pace and succinctness of the writing, I kept missing important elements among less important parts of the plot, otherwise would have been 4*.
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withlivjones's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

A really in-depth exploration of a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship, and a book where all the characters are awful in different ways (unless that’s just how the narrator wants you to see them…). It took me a while to get into this book, but the final climactic chapter was so worth it. The whole book as this claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in an uncomfortable situation, and not many books have made me feel so much dislike and sympathy for the characters and the same time. 
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liesbethvv's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm having a hard time rating this book. On the one hand, it took me quite some time to get into it, had a relatively slow start for me. There were no loveable characters to get attached to, but this made the reading experience more interesting and nuanced. I'm not convinced that the changed title (from 'Girl in White Cotton') was a good choice contentwise, although I agree it is more enticing. I don't really love
open endings, but it felt quite good in this book.
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sha's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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abswoods's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
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spinesinaline's review against another edition

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

4.25

Possibly the most shocking opening line after that beautiful cover, “I would be lying if I say my mother’s misery has never given me pleasure”. I knew this would not be a lighthearted read from that start but this was a very intense, visceral read.

Antara has an incredibly complicated relationship with her mother, who appears to be developing dementia. As Antara struggles to care for her, and get her family and medical team to believe her worsening condition, we flash through Antara and Tara’s past, often flitting through memories at random and out of order.

The author does an excellent job at disorienting the reader and each time I thought I had a read on the MC, she would reveal something new that would twist everything I thought I knew! It’s a tricky story, dark and emotional and a little sinister and I was absolutely hooked.
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grace_cr1's review against another edition

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

3.0

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