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kimveach's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Rape, Sexual assault, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Stalking, Alcohol, Blood, Chronic illness, Child death, Grief, Terminal illness, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Medical content
megan_mac_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
a slow burn, but I was in the mood for the slow build, as the story weaved, twisted, ebbed and flowed
plus her writing was beautiful and I was captivated by all the stories and characters
a little bit mystery, a little bit historical fiction, a little bit magical realism ~ a good book to begin a new year with
Moderate: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Child death
kato_dg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcohol, Death, Rape, Suicide attempt, Grief, Racism, Sexual content, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness
Minor: Animal death, Medical content, and Blood
ohyeah_karyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Grief, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Rape
kcmg710's review against another edition
- 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
I’ve fallen in love with the characters and can’t imagine continuing life without them. I’m actually grieving finishing this book.
The writing was so beautiful. I loved every minute of this book.
I’ll admit it was abit tricky keeping up with everybody’s different stories because of the multiple POVS? (I think that’s the right term) however these are my favourite type of books, I love piecing it all together. It kinda reminds me of the starless sea (which I also loved) but if you found yourself not enjoying them maybe this book isn’t for you.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Death
Moderate: Rape, Animal cruelty, Child death, Physical abuse, Animal death, Incest, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism and Sexism
cookiecat73's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Medical content, Misogyny, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Murder, Suicide, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Child death, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Death, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse
cutepatzie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Deadnaming, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Blood, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Sexism, Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
yaizacanopoli's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Child death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Sexism, Animal death, Misogyny, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
literarypenguin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I felt like the writing was pretty good but I felt like at points it could have been shorter or that the book could have been shorter than it was. I did appreciate the writing though and loved the descriptions of places and the town that lives near the river. I loved the description of the Swan inn and how the people would flock there as one of their favorite spots. The pace was good and flowed well but I felt like it was slow at times when it could have been a little bit faster. It was consistent and kept its focus on the story and getting it to a resolution.
Once Upon A River is about a little girl and the people who become affected by her sudden appearance. The book also keeps the girl and who she is a secret until the very end which is a very well-done reveal. I did like the story and thought it was a well-written story, I really liked the parts with a character named Robert Armstrong. His parts of the story were my favorite parts to read because I felt like he and his family were realistic and felt like real people. The conflict of finding out who this little girl was and where she belongs leads up to the resolution of her identity and the aftermath of the families affected by that is very good. I think where the story gets its strength is the characters and the setting.
This book had many main characters as this book tells the story from different points of view. The main characters were Helena and Anthony Vaughan, the couple who recently had their child kidnapped and taken away from them, Robert Armstrong, a farmer who loves his family and has high respect for animals, and Rita a nurse with a hard upbringing who wants to do all she can for her patients but doesn’t do enough for herself. Robert is a half-black and half-white man living in a time when that was pretty frowned upon and Rita is an independent woman I felt were great representations of characters. One of my favorite characters had to be Rita because of her love for others but not giving herself as much credit and love as she deserves. I felt like her relationship with Henry Daunt was well thought out and progressed very smoothly throughout the book. Some characters I didn’t like though and felt like they could have done more with or not had all together.
This book takes place in a variety of different locations but always seems to go back to the Swan inn. The Swan felt like a character in its own right with how beloved and central it is to the main story. The locations surrounding the river were all different from each other but still were affected by the river. I liked how these places had to adapt to the placement on the river and how they even had their own legends and myths. The worldbuilding was important to the story and at times in the story, it felt important and did well carrying the story from beginning to end.
One of the themes I loved that the book was the theme of the loss of a child and how to move on from that loss. I felt like it was respectfully handled and really was well done. It could be said that that could apply to the grief of all kinds and how to move to past it to be happy and continue to live your life. It also touched upon the themes of being a parent, mental health issues, and racism.
I did enjoy this book even though I felt like it wasn’t perfect but that should not deter you if you want to give it a try or give it chance. I think you will enjoy this book and I think people will like the magic this book provides.
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault and Racism
abattleofmice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Minor: Physical abuse and Sexual assault