Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - There There

Reading from multiple perspectives is something that I love, and the way Tommy Orange weaves twelve different perspectives is great storytelling. As you read, you will care so much about the characters, and you really think about the world (please look at content warnings). This is truly a reflective book, and each story is so important.

I look forward to his next book.

Content Warnings

akswaneee's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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idesofjaim's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-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

4.25

An incredibly powerful book to finish off my 2023 with. I’m grateful for the cast of characters in the beginning (that was easy enough to reference back to since I was reading the physical edition) in order to help keep everything straight. The twists and turns of how everyone came together at the powwow reeled me in.

I do agree with other reviewers that I wish there was more for the women of the book, and that some things had been handled much differently.

I’m also frustrated that the ending is basically a cliffhanger. We get invested only to not see the other side of the shooting. Part of me wonders if that is truly on purpose, that we don’t get to have these truly joyful reunions and feel lighter and brighter about things. I do think the bookends of the novel being Tony is an elegant setup.

Definitely a heavy read, be sure to check trigger warnings.

Content Warnings

heron_m's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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annettenk's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

4.75

This was an excellent read with a devastating ending.

I think I would have a tough time appreciating and keeping track of all the interwoven stories and characters if I had read this over a long span of time/small bits at a time or as an audiobook.

Content Warnings

girlinlavender's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

A gut punch from a fist wrapped in truth. I love how daring this novel is. It does so much with the multiple POVs and nonfiction elements. I knew I was in for a great story after reading the "Dear Reader" letter in the first few pages. Incredible and Necessary.

The multiple POVs were confusing at times, especially when it came to the shooters of the powwow and their separate identities. I was definitely more captivated by some stories than others (specifically Blue's story, I was captivated by her character), but that's to be expected. The large quantity of POVs would be my only "complaint."

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