Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

38 reviews

phaas's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, and Pregnancy

Minor: Blood

gabgeh's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

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

1.5

I would not recommend this book if high-quality writing is a priority for you. A somewhat cute, sad, self-insert story with very few character motivators and very little plot development. Tolerable only because I was reading it for a book club and would be able to trash-talk it after reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, and Drug use

annaledbetter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Cancer, and Dementia

kaseybereading's review

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, and Death of parent

stephsbooktalk's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.5

"I think maybe everyone is scared to be alone."

This book has been sitting on my shelf longer than it should have. I am not sure if I have been putting it off because the hype was so high and I was scared to read it. This book was chosen as a fiction read for a book retreat I am hosting and I am so glad it was picked. 

April, April, April. My heart went out to the girl. No matter what got thrown her way, she just kept moving forward. She didn't have many people in her life that treated her well but those that did were her ride or dies. 

I was a little bummed that April's adult life didn't go the way that I wanted her development go at the end but I understand that wasn't April. It would have been too perfect if it ended wrapped in a package with a bow. April's life has never been a pretty package. 

The writing flowed beautiful & felt that it went super quick. She wrote the characters beautifully even the side characters. Some of the characters were not around super long but it didn't matter because I still felt like I knew them and could picture them. 

I highly recommend this if you are looking for something that is coming of age, redemption, love of music & want to feel warm inside.  

Also, it still boggles my mind that books that take place in the mid 90s is considered "historical fiction." This will be something I need to work through as the years go on LOL. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault and Physical abuse

juliamb's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

April's mum left and her dad has a new ready made family with his new girlfriend and her son. What does April have? She lives in her dad's motorless motorhome, a boyfriend who wants to plan to marry April and get out of their small town, and a substitute mum in the local diner's manager, Margo.
  
When April's dad smashes her guitar and her future dreams, she steals her dad's girlfriends car and goes on an unexpected soul searching journey across America.
  
You fall in love with April and her journey, with a raw and emotional story full of characters that are just right for that time they meet April. Your heart will break, laugh, cry and cheer as April discovers who she is and what friends and family mean to her.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug use, Abandonment, Alcohol, Medical content, Pregnancy, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

laurenzott's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

martamae77's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault and Death of parent

martachbc's review against another edition

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

After teenaged April’s deadbeat dad disappoints her for the last time, she takes off in his car with the only thing of value he ever gave her - a guitar. Determined to start a new life for herself, she settled in a New York college town before beginning a nomadic, troubadour life up and down the East Coast. With just enough professional success to eke out a living, April doesn’t want for much - just a home, and a family, to call her own.

I loved this heart-aching story - though it certainly left me emotionally bereft quite a few time. April was such a strong but sad character, and I so desperately wanted things to go her way. Of course, this is a 300-plus page book, so be prepared for a lot to go wrong in her journey. But the glimmers of hope, which Allison Larkin carefully bread-crumbs along the way, teach April - and us - powerful lessons about what it means to love and be loved in return. 

What’s holding me back from giving this five stars is a *totally personal preference* regarding what makes a satisfying story arc. Ultimately, I thought the climax and conclusion fit the characters and story. 

It’s easy to see why this book made so many “best of” lists last year - I can’t recommend it enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Alcohol

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Drug use, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer