Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

8 reviews

iqlofty's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Antisemitism

Minor: Eating disorder, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

lea_oaktrees's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

An incredible and lyrical story with well developed complex characters. Deals with darker and more difficult themes but has worthwhile reflexions on hope and finding meaning in the day-to-day joys and in eachother. I couldn’t put this book down and completely loved it from start to finish. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Minor: Eating disorder

bobbi's review

dark hopeful slow-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Forced institutionalization

blacksphinx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

There's just one character where every part of her, from her personality, to her actions, to the way her storyline ends, that I found extremely annoying. I also don't feel that the two major plotlines really ever came together in a way that was satisfying. Those criticisms aside, it was wonderful to read a fantasy story that was deeply steeped in Judaism, and a "found family" story that actually sells you on how the characters are a family.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic

TW: Eye trauma, references to the Holocaust, graphic descriptions of the effect of atomic bombs on the human body.

anntharai's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Jfc this book is devastating. Like. If you have a button, this story pushes - and not just the big ones in big obvious ways. It's the little ways it reminds you of things, the one liners that you need to pause and think about, but for others will just pass them by. Which, is really apt considering one of the main mechanics of the story. 

It's fucking terrifying, sad, hopeful.  Ita about trauma and finding yourself, inevitability and searching for good. 


I picked this up because it caught my eye in the new arrivals but I'm gonna be thinking about this book for years. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Eating disorder

gondorgirl's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Gun violence, Self harm, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Eating disorder, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kris386's review

emotional sad slow-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Stalking, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Eating disorder

caseythereader's review

dark emotional hopeful sad 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

Thanks to Tor Books for the free copy of this book.

 - THE FIRST BRIGHT THING is delicate, loving, and heartbreaking. I loved the writing in this book, beautiful without being too flowery, about time travel without feeling unmoored.
- It feels basic to describe this book as THE NIGHT CIRCUS but queer, but it is, and it's also more than that. It grapples with the lasting effects of war and lost family and has a truly horrifying bad guy.
- This book's cast is also diverse in multiple ways, and Rin's identities in particular (queer, Jewish) are central to the story, not just a label added to diversify the group. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Eating disorder