Reviews for Precious (Push Movie Tie-in Edition)

The average rating for Precious (Push Movie Tie-in Edition) based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-03-13 00:00:00 Lisa Weisz I HATED this book. Don't get me wrong, I understand that horrendous things happen to people on a daily basis and that there are triumphant stories of those who have risen from the wreckage and are now living as icons of survival. But this book is not like that, really. This book is more like "Listen, Precious has been raped and now I want to rape you too." And after you read the book, you need therapy and you feel like Precious is not really okay like the book tried to say she is at the end. Other things that ticked me off: *The rape details. I GET IT! It was heinous and disgusting but I really think the author wanted everyone who read this book to feel raped along with Precious so that we can just - feel raped. As readers, we can't be trusted by Sapphire to be empathetic enough on our own *The fact that Precious enjoyed being raped. Even more abominable (and unbelievable) especially the way she described "enjoying" it. Ugh! Thankfully, I wasn't near a bridge when I read that part because I would have certainly jumped off of one. *The writing was intentionally horrific and inconsistent. If you want to write in illiterate form so that the readers can hear Precious' true voice, fine. Just be consistent about it. *Precious hated (or didn't understand) Gays and made ignorant comments about them. Umm, your Dad raped you and you think Gay people are your problem? Well, this is the author's agenda you see? She is Bisexual and wants to point out that Gay people are not demonic sinners like Precious' "straight" father. *Precious BLAMES THE WHITE MAN for the reasons why her Daddy is a drug-addict rapist. I could go on and on...but I feel sick so I'll just stop. This book gets zero stars from me, but zero isn't an option. EDITED TO ADD: I am seeing comments declaring that if an author can make you go through the character's trauma with her, then she is doing a good job. I disagree with this sentiment. The author's job is to express what the character is experiencing without personally attacking YOU as the READER. And this is what Push delivers, a personal attack, instead of gathering my interest to help girls like Precious. After all, what is the purpose of such a novel if not to create awareness of such heinous events and propel this awareness to form organizations that educate girls like Precious on understanding that what they are experiencing is wrong and criminal; and there is a way out? Forcing the reader to feel raped simply does just that - abuses the reader. It's easy to just write down a bunch of vulgar details and call it "the realness." Instead of feeling sorry for Precious, I felt sorry for myself for having ever even touched this book. Having said that, I am an avid financial supporter of PreventChildAbuse.org and not because I read this book. I'd rather do something about this problem than read about it in a novel, or watch it in a movie as some form of entertainment.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-11-12 00:00:00 Donny Singleton 5 stars for creating a really unique heroine 5 stars for an enjoyable, engrossing story 7 stars for beautiful use of language (yeah mutherfuckers, sometimes that word is the only word that fits) I didn't put much faith in an author named 'Sapphire'. More urban fiction: ghetto girl's acrylics scratch eyes out of baby father's new crack-addicted girlfriend, I thought. (Not that I don't quite enjoy urban fiction, Zane is quite good and very spicy). I couldn't have been more wrong. The writing in the book is a joy to read. It isn't, as most good writing is, just a vehicle to convey the material as much as a vibrant and necessary component of the story. The literary device of the writing changing, opening, blooming along with the story is remarkably well-executed. The story is really of how the system has failed those at the very bottom of society. How no one cares about those who fall through the cracks so long as they do it quietly. It's very much a diatribe against an America that so many blacks feel they had no place in forming and no place within as a right. The racism and other prejudices are that of poverty. Lack of experience and gossip being the main vehicles for knowledge rather than books and education. In other words, the racism is not at all deep-seated, it's something that can easily be changed for the better. It is a wonderful book on every level, not just the writing, or the story, or the tremendous creation of Precious - antithesis of a heroine, a 250lb girl who describes herself as too dark and ugly, and whose taste in clothes is appalling (but hopeful, fluorescent yellow leggings and a leather jacket) but also the ending. There isn't one, it's in your mind. And perhaps in how you might see your home town after reading it, and maybe also in who you vote for on your local council. It's really you that can make the ending.