Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Assembly by Natasha Brown

105 reviews

sydapel's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

Ultimately, I think this is a book I need to return to. I found the message and the writing incredibly compelling, but because it's so short (which is why I picked it up in the first place), it was hard to really immerse myself in. There's so much introspective on class, race, capitalism, etc, that I feel I can't think about it deeply without a second read. hertofore, holding any rating for the time being. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Death of parent and Death

rainbowarpaint's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Classism

Moderate: Cancer

nathiddles_106's review against another edition

reflective sad fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Cancer

schorlett's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Cancer, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Slavery, Alcohol, and Classism

lady_bountiful's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Classism, Medical content, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Sexism

hypocrisis's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

hard to stomach, in a good way.
more like poetry than a novel, really enjoyed the style. natasha brown knows people and how to cut to their core quickly.
there are many great quotes from this book, yet this one found its way into this unfairly brief review simply because i opened my notes app immediately upon reading it, starting the collection of quotations from assembly.

p.21
"Victimhood is a choice," Rach said. Part opinion, part mantra.

while the narrator is describing her best friend here, as the book unfolds it becomes apparent that - although they are not affected in the same way and navigate this differently - both women repress their true feelings, in the narrator's case going so for as to alter her personality, to survive an inhospitable environment (until she chooses to stop surviving).

edit: I still find myself thinking a lot about this book and i don't think it was entirely random of me to elaborate on this particular quote, though it must've been subconscious at the time which I'm slightly embarrassed about. Only now do i realise how much of the protagonists' perspective is revealed within those sentences and how they literally foreshadow the plot.

I can't do this book justice... but if you're thinking about reading it you really should!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Racism, Cancer, Sexism, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Colonisation

anneklein's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

holy shit

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Terminal illness, Classism, Misogyny, Medical content, Racism, Sexism, Cancer, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Xenophobia

zoesta's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Cancer

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Colonisation

george_tte's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

Started this book not knowing what to expect. Then three hours had gone by and I’d finished the book. 

It’s not an easy read. This book touches on big, systemic problems. The author finds amazing ways to discuss the ever present discomfort and tension, while keeping it very intimate. 

Definitely check this book out! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, and Colonisation

Moderate: Cancer

ghost_story's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Cancer