Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

21 reviews

woolerys's review

dark inspiring reflective 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

Writing - 4/5 

Plot - 4/5 

Characters - 5/5 

World-building - 5/5 

Personal tastes - 5/5 

TOTAL:  4.6

 

I felt a little like this book was custom-tailored for me because it features a) a circus in b) the Midwest with c) an aerialist as a prominent character. I should have read it last year when it came out, but in a way the timing was perhaps better now, since a major theme of the book is looking a dark future square-on and still doing what you can to spread love and joy and to take care of your own community—a queer, multiracial, diverse community in a world where that’s not the norm. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia

j2teapot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.75

This is a really well written book, but I was not prepared by how sad it got, how intimately painful it would be. And how much time would be spent on the pain and grief aspect compared to hope. I did like the ending and I'm pleased it wrapped up that way.
It's not a 4* because I struggled to finish it due to the pain across the pages, however it not a 3* because I enjoyed the characters and how they developed, and it is an excellent representation of the ongoing trauma mental and domestic abuse can cause.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Antisemitism, Grief, and War

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Death of parent

silverwings95's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful slow-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? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and War

Moderate: Eating disorder, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

littlelizzieborden's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Homophobia

rhyme_not_reason's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent

jmmd's review

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Stalking, and War

Minor: Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent

julesg's review

dark reflective medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War

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. 

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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

starlitpage's review

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

3.5

This book suffers a bit from a case of modern sensibilities in a period novel. But if you can get through the first few chapters, it justifies itself with meaning and hope grounded in the book's present. In the end, it does have a modern queer hopefulness that reminds me of Becky Chambers or TJ Klune, and the period of it--sandwiched between the first and second world wars, with what that entails for a time-hopper--serves that message. I'm still not entirely sure how much to trust the historical accuracy,  but at least there's an in-text acknowledgement of the most glaring anachronism (to me, with my circus experience) and a list of sources on circus history in.the acknowledgements pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia

The narrative is on the right side against homophobia and antisemitism

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

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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