Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney

5 reviews

deedireads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? No

3.5

All my reviews live at https://deedireads.com/

My latest Booker Prize longlister, and while I see its merits, I’m not super surprised that we didn’t see this one on the shortlist. I was a little hot and cold on it; sometimes I felt super engaged and sometimes I felt the opposite. All in all, I think I am slightly to the positive side of neutral on it.

As you might expect, this is about what happens to characters as they learn to build a boat rather than how to actually build a boat, lol. But I also think it’s about characters searching for proverbial life rafts. That said, I’m not exactly sure how the two main plot lines tied together; they left me feeling like there was something unresolved even though that isn’t quite the case.

All in all, I think this book is stunning but a bit superficially. It has really stunning prose, especially the ending — if you love books that sing like poetry, this might be enough for you. I just didn’t necessarily feel as connected to it at a deeper level. Still, glad I read it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Miscarriage, Infertility, and Death of parent

drrock's review

slow-paced

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

1.5

Clichéd rubbish maybe good if you haven’t got anything else about. Characters lack depth, it’s like the author just googled “autistic boy” and “Irish man” and went from there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Miscarriage

rei_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, and Infertility

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Miscarriage

ree333's review

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage

reads_eats_explores's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Classism, Addiction, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Death of parent, Mental illness, Medical content, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Violence, Cursing, Death, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Toxic friendship