Reviews tagging 'Grief'

A Tiny Upward Shove by Melissa Chadburn

2 reviews

ka_cam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.75

This is a heavy, dark, deeply sad read. The primary voice of the Aswang (/marina) was compelling and added a poignancy and semi-remove maybe ubique to the semi-first-semi-third person (if there’s a word for that I don’t know it). The love and attempts and love and care throughout really come through. I also personally liked how the title came through. I think the info abt the murderer was much less complex for the amount of time spent on it, though I realize she was working off a real person model there. There is some really tough explicit content here, so please mind the content warnings.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Child abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Body horror, Blood, Abandonment, and Addiction

Moderate: Kidnapping, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Medical content, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Dysphoria

Additional content warnings: child welfare systems, group homes, explicit descriptions of rape of a child and other child sexual and physical abuse, explicit descriptions of sex in the context of sex work

bella_cavicchi's review

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

4.5

An absolute gut punch of a novel. It takes fifty or so pages to find its footing, but once it does, it hits hard and hits deeply -- and to that point, I think it deserves a far wider readership than it's currently earned. Let Chadburn's writing serve as a sobering reminder (and call to rage/action) that we continue to neglect women and children with intention. Will be thinking of this one for days. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Excrement, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Misogyny

Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, Violence, and Alcoholism