Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

11 reviews

eve81's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Infidelity

Moderate: Addiction

readerette's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

4.5

Keep with this one all the way to the end! Well written, engaging story about something of an anti-hero dealing with the kind of racist, backward behavior that feels wrong in a story set in the modern day (but sadly, isn't out of place). Eye-opening from a race perspective and also just a good story. While I like the surprise of the ending, it also felt slightly off-key given all the moralism associated to the badge of the Ranger throughout the story.

The n-word appears a number of times and a couple of other slurs come up once or twice--all contextually appropriate for the setting and characters. Just worth calling out to prepare yourself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Cursing, Infidelity, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Vomit, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, and Rape

emilineopines's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcohol, Gun violence, Murder, Animal death, and Death

hazelgirl21's review

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

catherineofalx's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Gun violence, and Violence

Minor: Sexual violence

bibliozabs's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Murder

linesiunderline's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.5

This thriller earns a place on the shelf alongside a select few others. I’m talking about thrillers that possess more of a literary quality than is typical in the genre - Tana French and Jane Harper’s books come to mind.

Attica Locke gives us a host of characters who linger in your mind after the final pages, characters who feel complex and provoke curiosity rather than seeming like cut outs, mostly there to move the plot along.

Also, if your favourite kind of thriller is as much about atmosphere as action, look no further. Locke brings the desolate small town to life so completely, and the slow burn feeling is hard to beat.

This is a tale of simmering secrets, racism, the search for justice, and how through it all, we hang onto love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Gun violence, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death

sarahaf712's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Hate crime, Death, Cursing, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Grief

Minor: Vomit, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Police brutality

Content warning: police interrogation; Aryan Brotherhood; gang violence; murder crime scenes; autopsy

questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

 I found this really compelling. I liked the writing and found myself immediately immersed in the small town setting. The atmosphere is bleak and gritty and there's a lot more to the murder investigations than it first seems - past secrets, white supremacists and racial hatred all play a part. I liked that the story focused on the characters as much as the plot. The web of relationships between the people in the town was so interesting to untangle. Darren is a complicated character, with personal baggage to deal with as well as his cases but I was rooting for him and I'm looking forward to reading the next book. I don't read much crime which isn't Agatha Christie and this has reminded me that I'd enjoy it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism

ellethinks's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

 This book reaffirmed that police-type procedurals don't work for me and this book was a miss.

I found the characters, mainly Darren and Randi really irritating and don't understand why there was so much forced proximity between them. The incorporation of romantic tension between them (while Darren has a wife that he claims to be happy with and misses) awkward and uncomfortable. If Darren, the protagonist, had been a random sleuth interested in these cases, and not a Texas Ranger, I would have found his actions in this book more believable.

The writing was nice and the audiobook was well done, but I can't say I enjoyed the rest of it.

Having not spent much time in the South and not having ever been to East Texas, I was having a hard time believing that this was actually set in the 2010s - is racism that overt there? Or was this intentionally hyperbolic? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Mass/school shootings, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Violence