Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

There There by Tommy Orange

59 reviews

amandaevans's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I did enjoy this book, don’t get me wrong. But I personally have such a hard time with books that are told from so many POV’s. 

There are twelve main characters in this book. Twelve. And they all have their own POV chapters. Some people love this, but for me I have such a hard time keeping up with the different characters and timelines in a story such as this one. 

I loved the reflection of the native people and the urban communities of native Americans, as I’ve never really encountered anything like this, but overall the story fell kinda flat for me. It was kinda hard to get into because of the layout. I found myself being more confused trying to keep up than anything else. 

But it is an interesting, and important story overall. I think it is crucial to read and hear marginalized stories from marginalized peoples. So for that aspect, I would highly recommend.

Worth the read, but good to know the layout beforehand if you are someone that struggles with this kind of writing style. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Addiction, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

franklola's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

language_loving_amateur's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

4.75

I feel like I would need a second read through with a character chart to understand the basics of what is happening in There There, let alone fully understand it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Excrement, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

aj_mooney's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

Each voice in this ensemble narrative is distinct and compelling. Tommy Orange combines history, rage, humor, and heart in this important look into urban indigenous life. I was completely engrossed in the story until its explosive ending. I would argue this is a must read for all people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Car accident

vicnicbasket's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, and Death of parent

mirandaleighhhh's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Car accident

cheazcakeguy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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 a powerful read. Tommy Orange's writing feels like there's a real weight behind it with every sentence. It forces you to slow down at times and really reflect on the characters and their stories. You experience the full range of human emotion while reading this book, and there were several truly gut-wrenching moments, especially at the end. The ending

was shocking yet inevitable, and I can't stop thinking about the incredible metaphor of the spider's web, both a home and a trap, which brought the characters together...

Highly recommend, though this isn't a light read and it will tear your heart out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

marissasa's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I always love a story where we get multiples POVs, and especially if they are people whose individual narratives all connect to each other by the end. This book delivered that along with a lot of emotional and heavy truths about Native Americans' experiences in the past and in the modern time. The essays in the beginning really set the tone for the book and leave you breathless. I liked the exploration of many different themes in this book, with a big emphasis on identity, family ties, and participating in your culture. While all these things were done well and the buildup to the ending was anxiety-filled and tense as intended, the book was also on the short side which resulted in a lot of the 12 characters who were given a POV not getting as much development as they could've. Some were fleshed out and we got to dive in and hear their backstories, while others felt more like a toe dip in the pool only getting to the surface level. Regardless, this book will keep you engaged and make you feel things while learning about life for the indigenous people who live in a land that is theirs but also stolen from them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

placeholder13's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Car accident, Abandonment, and Alcohol

pferdina's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Twelve interconnected characters illustrate modern native life in Oakland. Called the Urban Indians, these are not the reservation inhabitants nor the stereotypes of American Indians. The chapters are told from different perspectives. It was difficult for me to read the urban dialogue and to identify with the characters but I’m glad I read this.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Car accident, Abortion, and Pregnancy