Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

My Policeman by Bethan Roberts

3 reviews

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Yes, Harry Styles made me read this. I will not be taking critiques at this time.

This book tells the story of Marion, Tom, & Patrick. Tom is a young police officer that Patrick and Marion are both in love with - she as his wife, and he, as his lover in a time where it was illegal to be gay in the UK. The tale unravels from Marion and Patrick's perspectives in dual timelines and as the reader you come to see that no one in this book is an innocent - they each have their pain and they each inflict pain on each other in different ways, and it's often extremely sad to read, but the humanity and messiness of these characters are what made this book so readable and engaging to me, so that was the main thing I liked about it. The writing, too, I thought was gorgeous.

Some issues I had - I don't mind an age gap in a relationship as long as it's ethical as well as legal. Tom and Patrick's age gap itself didn't bother me, but I often felt a little grossed out by the way Patrick was always referencing Tom's youth, his boyishness. It felt....eeeehhh, weird. Didn't love that.

Other than that, I just have this feeling that there was something missing for me during this book. I can't figure out what it was exactly, and if I figure it out, I'll gladly post an update, but whatever it was, it left me feeling that I couldn't give this above a 3 even though I did enjoy it for the most part.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Hate crime, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Violence, Ableism, Outing, and Confinement

Moderate: Pregnancy and Racism

Minor: Fatphobia, Transphobia, Suicide, Child abuse, Vomit, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent

woolfism's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Outing, Infidelity, Homophobia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Gaslighting, and Terminal illness

Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, Medical content, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism

girlfrom105's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

In my opinion this is a book about perspective. It's also about forbidden love, prejudice, jealousy, fear and the legnhts it makes you Go. But I really think the perspective is the most important. 

It's beutifuly written, it makes you feel all types of emotions. I loved and hated every one of the characters. 

My favorite part is the first part narrated by Patrick and I also love when Marion describes the smell of things, I don't know why. 

It's very real, layered, it's that story that you read and it stays with you for a long time. 

Patrick and Julia are my favorite no one deserves them.
 If the dusches is not in the movie adaptation I'll be forever disappointed. 

The change the characters go throughout the years are believable and tragic. I recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Death of parent