Reviews tagging 'Death'

Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris

42 reviews

elle_g's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? No

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Death

nibs's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I'd been interested since hearing Leena Norms talk about it on the Women's Prize longlist (and then it got to the shortlist). It took a while to find it in a bookstore but was so worth it. 

Thoughts after finishing it: 
I'm so emotional. I like historical fiction, but the author has done an amazing job pulling me into Zora's world. I feel it. The imagery as well - of black butterflies, or her apartment building, Sarajevo as a character itself. I understand why it was shortlisted for the Women's Prize. 

In the acknowledgements it says how the author's family's experience parallels the book -

her father rescued her maternal grandparents from the siege. And the artist parts were inspired by a real landscape painter, her great uncle Dobrivoje Beljkašić.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Confinement

astronautin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Confinement

Moderate: Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Grief

Minor: Rape, Genocide, and Religious bigotry

minniepauline's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-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

4.75

I couldn’t put this novel down. Set at the beginning of the war in Sarajevo in the Spring of 1992, it’s propulsive in a way that the war feels to the characters. One day it’s unbelievable and then suddenly you’re in the midst and bombs are falling. It’s claustrophobic at times, at times hopeful. There is beauty and pathos. The novel is written in a very close third person, present-tense, and I felt as though I was in the action, experiencing everything that Zora did. Given what is going on in the world today, this feels like a necessary book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Violence, Infidelity, War, and Death

Moderate: Islamophobia and Religious bigotry

jouljet's review against another edition

emotional informative sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, and War

kirstym25's review

emotional 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, War, and Death

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Grief

feebles640's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, War, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child death and Confinement

amyford's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, War, Grief, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Confinement, and Excrement

ruthie_the_librarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-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? Yes

5.0

Devastatingly good.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, and Violence

bookbinbaby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? No

3.5

A world I would not know or recognise myself, but an insight to what other people do experience when war installs itself in their homes, villages, towns, countries and lives. Emotionally shattering as you see Zora's world ravaged and turned upside down by powers outside her control but having a very real and increasing impact on her life and those around her, and showing how when environments change unexpectedly what it can do to a person/people. Harrowing to read in most parts, but you're carried along as Zora and her small tight knit community look after one another and try and maintain their sense of community and self expression in times of hostility, uncertainty and senseless violence, as best they can. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and War

Moderate: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Islamophobia, Child death, Vomit, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Excrement

Minor: Infidelity and Rape