Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Book of Form & Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

90 reviews

roxyc's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief and Mental illness

Minor: Death and Death of parent

orlagal's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Body horror, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Police brutality, Self harm, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Blood, Body shaming, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Rape

thursdd4y's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

2.5

The ending was lovely, but this book felt 200 pages too long and I really started to hate picking it up. Personally a lot of it could’ve been cut and made everything a lot more powerful and engaging, because at times it felt tedious.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death, Drug use, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

maijaka's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

Bittersweet facet of the ending that I can’t tell if I appreciate or not 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Moderate: Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, and Drug use

pinksparklybird's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

Fabulous construction of narrative. A layered look at grief and acceptance.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

rays_bookclub's review against another edition

inspiring reflective slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Death of parent

stabilesero's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

5.0

I have a soft spot for books that contain characters with mental illness, and Ozeki worked magic with Benny's character. Very few authors are able to portray the harrowing details of living with mental illness, and she absolutely hit the mark. 
Benny and his mother's story is one of grief, struggle within society, expectations one puts on oneself and society's expectations; as well as all the things including growing up, community and belonging. 
I loved this book so much and I really didn't expect to. It had been sitting on my tbr shelf for so long because I feared it's size but it was worth it. It's definitely not going to be for everyone, but between the crows, jazz music, B-Man and all the other intricate details of this book; this was my book to a T.
I will absolutely be picking up more by Ozeki.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use, Cursing, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Bullying

itsbumley's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Self harm

Minor: Child abuse and Sexual violence

desheebasara's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.25

This book already had me crying by page 14, it was really not what I expected and surprised me in a positive way.

It lost me a little bit in the middle, but not in a way that made me put it away.

I really really enjoyed Ruth Ozeki‘s writing style, pretty sure I have never read anything like it!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Car accident, Sexual violence, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Bullying, Drug abuse, Addiction, Animal death, and Death of parent

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Very respectful of people with different minds. Very kind. Very well reseaeched into the intersections of people's lives and how their mental illnesses or impairities can / may be affected by outside factors. Very very, very real, living, loving book. 🥰 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Classism, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Confinement, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Fatphobia, Medical content, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Car accident, Racial slurs, Violence, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Rape, Cancer, and Pedophilia