Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

21 reviews

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

3.0


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jojo_'s review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-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

1.0


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caitlindee's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Akemi Dawn Bowman has definitely become an auto-buy author for me. This was such a fantastic story addressing grief, mental health, and family relationships. It also had fantastic aro & ace rep from the main character, which was amazing to read! Akemi is such a good storyteller, I immediately get sucked into her books and can't put them down. The cast of characters in this story was so eclectic and they all added so much to the story and to Rumi's journey and personal growth. I would definitely recommend this and the author! 

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longlost's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

5.0

"I’m cradling my arm in a cast when the doctor tells us Lea is dead. Mom’s in a chair next to me, her fingers digging into the hospital bed, her eyes dull like all the light has gone out of them.
I try to say so many words.
It’s not true. You’re wrong. She’s alive. You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re lying. I don’t believe you.
But I can’t say anything. The words for what I’m feeling don’t exist. "

This book my beloved. Akemi Dawn Bowman conveys Rumi's grief over her sister's death flawlessly, and manages to make Rumi likeable and understandable regardless of how she lashes out due to that grief. Her connection to music is described so beautifully and
the way it helps her heal is incredibly lovely.
 

Rumi's grief is perhaps the shining area of this book - it feels so palpable and overwhelming, just as it is to Rumi herself, and ultimately makes
her journey to recovery even more heartfelt.
Her relationships with other characters such as Kai or Mr. Watanabe provided a relief from Rumi's heavy feelings of grief,
and it's no wonder that it's with their help that Rumi was able to learn to deal with her pain.


The first chapter shows us the events that killed Rumi's sister, and from there we only see her in small memory segments that provide glimpes into their relationship,
which isn't always as flowery as one would like to remember it. Many of the memory sequences feature Rumi and Lea fighting, and build up to Rumi's feelings of jealousy towards her sister and that their mother always preferred Lea to her. The painful relationship between Rumi and her mother after Lea's death was incredible heartbreaking to read about, even if ultimately they turned out okay.


Rumi grieves heavily throughout the book which can make it a hard read, but the story of her healing is definitely worth reading. 

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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-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

4.0

I would not recommend reading this while grieving. Other than that this was fantastic.

Rep: Questioning aroace biracial (Hawaiian & Japanese) MC, biracial (mostly Hawaiian + another ethnicity) cast. 

CWs: Abandonment, child death, death, grief. Moderate: car accident, cancer.

 

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tina94's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

4.0


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bookowllover's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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tintinmd's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

I don't usually read slow-paced books. This was a bit of a heavy read given that Rumi deals with death and grief, and so many more things as she's figuring out her sexuality. It felt a bit dragged out to me. 
Overall, this book was a mix of difficult, heartwarming, hopeful.

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raoulalexander's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.75


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catle's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The first thing I noticed was how descriptive the writing style is. I liked the way sounds were described using scents and flavors. The book beautifully depicts the raw emotions of grief, and it isn't cliché at all. I appreciate the ace/aro (and general LGBTQ+) representation because that's not often seen in literature. The main character, Rumi, is abrasive and her character development is slow-paced, but I actually enjoyed that because it shows how people process trauma in their own ways. I also really like the depth of the other characters as well, specifically the adults. No one is completely good or bad; they all have their flaws because they're all human. Overall the book is an emotional exploration of self and one's relationships with others.

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