Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Crosshairs by Catherine Hernandez

7 reviews

kp_writ's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Such a necessary read, especially for white queers (lots of discussion around performative allyship here, and how to be better). The way this novel interweaves so many unique stories through fairly seamless narration is superb. This is a dark story, for sure, but it captured me in a way that I read it all in one sitting. Lots of political commentary here, and I'll be interested to reread this a few years from now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Xenophobia, Violence, Kidnapping, Transphobia, Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, Genocide, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Hate crime, Police brutality, Murder, Medical trauma, Homophobia, and Grief

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Suicide, Pregnancy, War, Rape, Excrement, Colonisation, Animal death, and Panic attacks/disorders

readingwithkt's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

CROSSHAIRS by Catherine Hernandez is a brutal dystopian novel, unflinching in its account of a fascist regime that sweeps Canada in the aftermath of a climate crisis. The Boots are tasked with rounding up The Others, a term used to refer to anybody who is BAME/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+. The Renovation movement involves all Others being taken to forced labour camps and brutalised, often murdered. This book is violent, graphic and extremely unsettling. 

In the way that all good dystopian stories are written, this book could easily be a possible future, a prediction of what could come if we are not careful to challenge and destroy the growing wave of fascism. I particularly appreciated Hernandez’s reflections on intersectionality throughout the narrative.

Though somewhat heavy handed in places, I thought that Crosshairs was a chilling and harrowing dystopian, and one that is certainly worth a read if you can handle the graphic violence and dehumanisation tactics depicted throughout. It took me several (3-4) months to read this novel due to the content. 

May this book serve as a reminder of the dangers of fascism, and the need for all allys to speak up and take action in the face of it.

Thank you to Jacaranda for this review copy, received in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Rape

eslsilver's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Transphobia, Vomit, and Xenophobia

kharlan3's review against another edition

challenging dark tense

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Trafficking, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, and Gore

Minor: Biphobia

forced sterilization

theliteraryhooker's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Ableism, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Police brutality, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

deedireads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.

First, thank you to Atria for granting me an early review copy of this book on NetGalley.

This is a hard book to review, mostly because it represents experiences, hardships, and desires that my identity shields me from — I’m not an Own Voices reviewer for this one. So I urge you to seek out Own Voices reviews as you decide whether you want to read this one.

Crosshairs tells the story of a near-dystopian future that feels too realistic. Catastrophic weather events caused by climate change have pushed people with privilege to turn their back on “Others” — essentially anyone who isn’t white, cis, straight, able-bodied, or passing for all those things — and the Canadian government has begun a genocide of Others disguised economic recovery. The main character, a queer Black drag queen, is on the run when he’s swept up into the heart of the revolution, which is Other-led and ally-assisted.

What I really liked: I thought the premise of this book was excellent and compelling and important, and I was drawn into the story and these characters. Obviously Hernandez has shown us a future that is really not outside the realm of possibility at all. She’s written from the perspective of one character whose experiences in a dystopia like this would matter most. And, perhaps most importantly for me, she’s created the sort of ideal structure of a revolution — led by the Others, and assisted by those with privilege who fight their unconscious biases every day to center and amplify Others’ voices.

The thing that has me torn on this book is the writing. I didn’t necessarily feel like the plot followed a shape that built up toward the end like you might expect from a story like this, so I found myself 75% of the way through and more than capable of setting it down and doing something else. Only the last chapter really felt like a climactic moment. The writing also felt very heavy handed, sometimes bordering on cheesy. But ultimately, that may have actually been the point. Hernandez is sort of begging allies to get the picture here.

So while I don’t think this book was perfect, I do think that it is very much worth reading, especially for those of us who strive to be allies to those who face discrimination and violence.

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Racism, homophobia, and transphobia: language, aggression, violence, suppression; Child abuse/conversion therapy; Suicide; Dating violence

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse and Suicide

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thanks to Atria Books for the free advance copy of this book. 

 📚 Wowww, this was horrifying. The world of CROSSHAIRS is only a breath away from our own, and it's easy to see the path we'd take to reach it.
📚 Heavy emphasis on intersectionality and how differently oppression works for queer BIPOC and trans people than for white cis queer people who could pass as straight if they wanted to.
📚 The flashback scenes to Kay's drag days were so joyful and loving.
📚 Great discussions of how allyship is an action, not just a label, and how white people can use their privilege to both lift up BIPOC leaders and to put their bodies on the front lines.
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What I didn't like:
📚 A lot of the dialogue was stiff and unnatural, which took me out of the story a few times.
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Content warnings: Ableism, bullying, child abuse, child death, deadnaming, death, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, genocide, gun violence, hate crime, homophobia, Islamophobia, kidnapping, physical abuse, police brutality, racial slurs, racism, rape, religious bigotry, sexism, sexual violence, suicide, suicidal thoughts, torture, transphobia, violence, and xenophobia. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia