Reviews tagging 'Grief'

This One Sky Day by Leone Ross

13 reviews

manaledi's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

I had so many moments where I was like what the hell did I just read I need to talk to someone what is going on and why and is there a deeper metaphor or is shit just strange. I feel like you could write an entire thesis on this book and yet I still can't decide what the lessons are. It sticks with you though from the three buttocks to the pum-pums to the moths. I'm still also wondering if indigent here is a play on indigenous. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Pregnancy

faithe's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Body horror, Death, Medical content, Animal death, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide, Homophobia, Infertility, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Mental illness, Self harm, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, and Religious bigotry

audreyxine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

I haven't the faintest idea even where to begin. This book was so brilliant, so challenging, and so bizarre. It covers cast grounds and explores so many corners of the human experience. I have so many quotes from this book that will stick with me forever. The world of Popisho is so surreal and yet it feels so tangible. 

My biggest criticism is the length. I would have preferred about 50 less pages. The momentum was hard to keep up, especially with all the jumping around between characters. 

For anyone thinking about picking this one up, I strongly recommend binging it. It needs to be a fever dream in order to make sense.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Classism, Excrement, Infidelity, Grief, Homophobia, Suicide, Vomit, Child death, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

rorikae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.25

'Popisho' by Leone Ross is an exquisitely written fabulist tale about the community that lives on the archipelago Popisho. 
The people who live on Popisho each have their own touch of magic. This magic manifests as healing abilities, wings, and more, affecting their daily lives in ordinary and extraordinary ways. At the center of this novel are a few different characters whose stories intertwine with their community and the wider political machinations going on around them. 
'Popisho' is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read.  Ross' prose is so precise while also being incredibly evocative. This, paired with distinct characters that are full of flaws but also full of heart, are what make this book special. The audiobook is read by Ross, which is rare for a fiction title. Her narration further elevates the text and brings the characters to life. I would highly recommend the audiobook though I do think it should be listened to when you have a good amount of time to pay attention. I listened while doing other things and found that I lost some of the plot points though I never lost appreciation for the characters and Ross' writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide

madelynfrank's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? Yes

5.0

I got this book from the library because it had a pretty cover. And now it’s one of my top favorites. 
Beautiful prose, interesting and fun setting. Many extremely unique and strong characters and I love them all. It was a joyful escapist magical fantasy that still spoke on food scarcity, complex colonialism, addiction, misogyny. Smart and special and I wish I had more. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, Addiction, Classism, Death, Genocide, Grief, Alcoholism, Racism, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, and Infidelity

lavenderlemonade's review against another edition

medium-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? Yes

This book is visceral and luscious in a way I haven’t encountered before. Colourful and baffling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Addiction, Infidelity, Excrement, Grief, and Infertility

quirme01's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.5

This book felt like a fever dream. At some times it was vivid and exciting and at other times, I had a hard time following and was a bit lost.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Miscarriage, Suicide, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Infidelity, Infertility, Homophobia, and Drug use

Minor: Vomit and Grief

kayesomething's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Blood, Death, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Body horror, and Infidelity

Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Misogyny

hollyd19's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Reading Popisho felt like a tripping headfirst into an adult version of The Phantom Tollbooth set to a soundtrack of "For The Benefit of Mr. Kite."

Set in a fictional Caribbean archipelago called Popisho, this delightful and kaleidoscopic book takes place over the course of a day and follows a chorus of magical characters as the impending wedding of the Governor’s daughter approaches. At the center of it all is Xavier Redchoose, the macaenus (a role appointed-by-the-gods to prepare a meal for every Popisho resident over his tenure). 

This was easily one of the most creative books I’ve ever read. Everyone in Popisho is born with “cors,” another word for some sort of magical endowment. But not in a predictable witchcraft/sorcery way. Cors are as varied as people; some people have extremely long limbs, others can detect when you lie, others can change the colors of random objects. Author Leone Ross also committed impressively to world-building. There were so many invented words that I gave up on looking up definitions and just leaned in to the disorientation. And every plot turn felt completely original and entrancingly chaotic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Drug use

Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Infidelity

Minor: Suicide, Child death, Colonisation, Sexism, and Pregnancy

bookishcori's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

Lush, sensual, queer, foodie dream, inventive, beautiful. Rereading made it even better. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Miscarriage, and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Grief, and Addiction

Minor: Suicide