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This book seems to set out to show the brutal reality of the American Wild West in contrast to the romanticization in many cowboy stories. The thing is... (a) that's all it does, and (b) it does it too thoroughly. If you're looking for Game of Thrones-level gratuitous human nature but in a Western setting, great. You'll love this. It's certainly better written (I was bored by the first GoT book and never read the others; this one never bored me). If, however, you're looking for a hero, you won't find one here. You'll find a bunch of broken people who suffer and refuse to grow as people, and you'll find a whole line of deaths, dismemberments, mutilations, assaults, heartbreaks, crimes, and dashed dreams.
I'll read a LOT of hard content in books, but I almost quit halfway through this one it got so dark, and for no redeemable reason. I only finished it so I could have a full picture of the book to discuss at book club in a few days. The book was beautifully written in terms of characterization, scene pacing, descriptions, and even an omniscient viewpoint, which is why I gave it the stars I did. I just wish the author had used those talents on a story with more hope to it than these 900 pages of pain offer.
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol
This book was brutal. It plots along and ends in such a hollow place you can't even cry. I feel angry at it because I don't understand the point but that's just it. Sometimes you don't and I'm choked up now for all the tragedy and horror and pointlessness of it all. There was beauty in spots and the journey felt so alive at the end but each death was blunt and brutal and shocking. You couldn't love them for they were so flawed but how could you hate them? It felt like a journey of life with patches that felt stable and understandable torn into pieces in moments.
If I had more of an inkling I'd talk about the brutalist poetic prose or the moral complexity or the hostorical lens but I feel so emptied out by the story that I don't want to anymore. I was so hooked that I couldn't be bothered to stop and write and now here I am without the desire.
If that doesn't say something about Lonesome Doce I don't know what will.
P. S. The pigs were my favorite part
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War
Minor: Ableism, Drug use
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, War
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Trafficking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racism, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Slavery, Pregnancy