Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Kani nimeltä jumala by Sarah Winman

7 reviews

harrimyers's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

this was an Insane book. very captivating, quite interesting for a book about really mundane stuff but every character felt incredibly alive and there were about 3 moments in this book which genuinely made me stop because the way they were introduced was both so sudden whilst also being sensitive.
the main one was undoubtedly mr golan and elly because it was never something explicitly said but you could read what happened to her in every line , and then with the focus being on jenny penny’s hair and her lateness and her letter to elly later on explaining that it was never her hair? really masterfully done, a really impressive tackling of these awful events in a way that makes it super powerful to read without it being explicit or ott. that being said some of thr plot points, specifically bringing 9/11 into it were a bit….. hm. i enjoyed this book but my god did it boggle the mind

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

 When God was a Rabbit unfolds over four decades. At its centre is a loving but flawed family, an especially close bond between sister and brother, and an extended cast of sometimes eccentric characters - including a pet rabbit named God. The plot is rich and multi-layered exploring both the general - friendship, coming of age - as well as the specific - the impact of 9/11. I loved Sarah Winman’s Still Life and this, her debut, has a very similar feel. She excels at creating memorable characters and capturing the bittersweet moments of the human experience. 

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abbruzzese's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

I never felt complete without him. In truth, I never would.

And he uncovered in us a curious need: that we each secretly wanted him to remember us the most. It was strange, both vital and flawed, until I realised that maybe the need to be remembered is stronger than the need to remember.

yet another book that had me in tears for a good chunk of it, the last 1/3 or so. the story is well-written, with good pacing, and the characters are nothing short of loveable. 

the first half of the book, breezy and almost whimsical, had me reminiscing on fond childhood memories of my own with rose-coloured glasses firmly in place. the second half, quite frankly, hurt. it becomes a cruelly bittersweet tale about the hardships of life and the things we all come face-to-face with at one point or another. 

my only criticism is how loosely god (the rabbit) was incorporated into the story. maybe i'm missing something, maybe there's symbolism that hasn't occurred to me yet, but i felt like god's role in the story was weak, secondary at best, and then he
just...dies. and that's it?

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katewhite77's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Sarah Wineman is a genius, ìt's official!

Another beautiful book about the all that life can throw at you and how to survive it. Love comes in many different shapes and sizes and through many different ways and means but in the end it can conquer all. 

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ceejcook's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25


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daisyvb's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? No

5.0

I first read this book years and years ago when I was probably far too young, and I've been looking for it ever since. Theres nothing like it and I'll probably go another ten years looking before I come back around again for another time. I did not cry this time, but there were tears in my eyes and honestly thats practically the same thing. I just wanted good things for all the characters no matter what and somehow, a book that can be so sad, so heartbreaking, managed to make me smile through it all.

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elouisewills's review against another edition

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challenging funny mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Though this book had an interesting premise, I feel as though it was poorly executed, overly-packed full of content that made for a bit of a mess of storylines, and seemed almost too fantastical, not for the magical realism of the rabbit, but for the family.

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