Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Boys Don't Cry by Fíona Scarlett

6 reviews

pkc's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Achingly sad, but hopeful. A really gorgeous example of Irish literature: spare, taut and bruising. I absolutely loved it. Didn’t like feeling like I was asked to have sympathy for certain characters and it wrapped VERY quickly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and Cursing

roemfr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Violence, Death, Cursing, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

aquaria127's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Medical content, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Violence

ashleighvdk's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Murder, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, and Gaslighting

kazzhiggs's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I found the circumstances surrounding the climactic event of this story a bit confusing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Cancer, Sexual harassment, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Boys Don't Cry is the stunning debut novel from Fiona Scarlett. It tells the story of Joe and Finn, two young brothers living in the flats in inner city Dublin and follows their struggles as they learn to live with a father who is heavily involved in the local crime gang, a mother who is trying to hold it all together and a shocking cancer diagnosis that has devastating effects.

This heartbreakingly beautiful and tender story is told with alternating chapters from each of the boys perspectives. This was so affective as it allows the reader to see the varied themes (poverty, crime, domestic violence, cancer & grief) through each of the boys eyes.

The writing is tender yet captivating. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and had to finish it in one sitting. Fiona beautifully portrays the unbreakable bond between Joe and Finn and just how besotted they are with each other.

I also really enjoyed the female characters within this book, each one appeared to be trying to cope with the hand they had been dealt and made often hard choices to try to better themselves and those around them.

This is a gorgeous story, brimming with equal amounts of love and sorrow that will stay with me for a long time to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence