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fjerda's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
‘We used to think she would turn up one day and say it had all been a test.’ Porter knows grief intimately and was able to make my chest feel heavy with a talented ease. The book is bitter and the book is hopeful. A rewarding read.
I would recommend annotating as you read.
I would recommend annotating as you read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Grief, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
pickashelf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
abbie_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
A tiny audiobook with a big impact, this was my second Max Porter and he really does something special with his books! Didn’t love it as much as Lanny, but it was a beautiful and unique exploration of sudden grief. Despite its subject matter, there’s a similar playfulness with language as in Lanny, and Jot Davies does a brilliant job of bringing it to life!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
quinn_07's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Cursing, Grief, and Death
Minor: Alcohol
_rowan_'s review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Excrement, Grief, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Terminal illness, and Violence
wishbea's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
A few moments were genuinely touching, but the majority of the book is indecipherable due to the unique writing style and the overuse of crass language was almost offensive given the subject matter. It was very difficult to emotionally invest in the characters of the story and it felt like very little actually happened.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
befrazzledenby's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.5
It's been three months, and I'm still thinking about this book. I'll probably write something longer about it once I reread it, but for now, this will do.
This was such a unique and personal and vulnerable and heartbreaking exploration of death and grief and the way grief just avoids any kind of linear, sensical process. I loved the crow metaphor, but I think I need to reread (fine by me) to soak up the rest of it now that I know what's going on plot-wise. It was a little jolting and hard to follow in the beginning, but by the end, I wasn't ready for it to end (though it was such a natural, gentle ending, as books about death and grief should be).
This was such a unique and personal and vulnerable and heartbreaking exploration of death and grief and the way grief just avoids any kind of linear, sensical process. I loved the crow metaphor, but I think I need to reread (fine by me) to soak up the rest of it now that I know what's going on plot-wise. It was a little jolting and hard to follow in the beginning, but by the end, I wasn't ready for it to end (though it was such a natural, gentle ending, as books about death and grief should be).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
sxndaze's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-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
3.25
It’s mesmerizing to read. The cadence is melodic in a sense and while the prose is confusing and dark, it represents grief in that way. It’s complicated and simple and a lot and not all at once. An interesting read to say the least.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Violence
bookswithjk's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death
siobhanward's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I love crows, so the idea of a crow eating grief and being almost a grief counsellor was great for me. Porter's work is always beautiful and I love how the story unfolded in this. The three POVs (Dad, Boys, Crow) were so different in their approaches to the mother's death and way in which they were coming to terms with it. The writing was creative and clever. I do feel as though I may have missed something in the father's love for Ted Hughes - I've never read any of his work, so I feel as though I may have missed some references, but it did not impact my read through of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief