Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Milkman by Anna Burns

33 reviews

brenncocoa's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Stalking, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Abortion

rory_john14's review

dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Terminal illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Mass/school shootings

elliecaholic's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This book can be a bit of a tough read, with long sentences and quickly changing time- and viewpoints. However I think the author used this to effectively transmit the mental state of the main character amidst the turmoil of the Troubles, and does this particularly well for the relationship of this character with her mother.

I think the writing style also helps to depict the community where the character lives, and how their scrutiny of each others actions has such negative impacts on their relationships and happiness. It's incredibly challenging to read about a 40-something year old mans pursuit of a barely 18 year old woman being blindly accepted while there is clear homophobia and religious bias.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Misogyny

duarshe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Do you know that friend that is going to tell you an anecdote that happened to them a while ago, and just seems not to be able to get straight to the point and gets distracted over a million other details before actually telling you what they were going to say from the beginning, and you actually forget what the story was even about? That's middle-sister. Our narrator. So just by saying that, you can kind of imagine how this book is narrated. That is, essentially, the reason why I thought myself uncapable of finishing this, so I'm pretty sure past Sheila must be very proud of me for reading every single page here. It is true that I read this for class, but still it is an achievement. 

The main problem that I find here is that there are many plots, stories and thoughts directed at us by the narrator, that if you chose a fragment from this book and asked me to situate in the plot, there is a small probability that I will actually be able to do it. Many things get repeated over and over, like that damn supercharger. And many others you just cannot know how the narrator even got to that point.

When I updated I was in page 69 I wrote this: "This book is the worst nightmare for people who dislike unconventional narrative style, long paragraphs that go on for pages, little to none dialogue, and long ahh chapters that make up one half of the book. That's me btw. This book is my worst nightmare!!!! 😀" 
And it is true, those aspects do make up for my worst nightmare case scenario (especially this book being the epitome of long chapters), but I was able to manage (barely) anyway. I would say the last two chapters more or less I enjoyed the best, but the rest... God only knows it was not easy...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death and Homophobia

immi_rae's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Violence, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

chanatova's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Very oddly written book without much of a plot. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about it. There were lots of run on sentences and the plot wasn’t necessarily discernible. I’m still not sure what just happened. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Police brutality

Minor: Homophobia

lindsaylhunter's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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

4.0

One moment this favourite sibling, the second eldest boy, the sixteen-year-old and the most calm and beloved of that family, was making his way over the street towards his nervous, panicked brother, to discourse with him, once again to try to soothe him in his wild nuclear distraction. Next, this teenager was on the ground with his head completely gone. Not ever, not even after the commotion died down, did anybody find it.

I genuinely cannot believe I managed to finish this book. Equal parts captivating and utterly confusing, I've never felt such relief to close a book for the final time whilst equally wishing it not to end.

I completely understand why this wouldn't be for everyone (the prose is absolutely killer throughout), but I think in a market over-saturated with accounts of how society was during the Troubles, this book breathes new life into such a turbulent time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking and Murder

Moderate: Animal death

alishaabrahamsreads's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Homophobia and Death of parent

isabeldotml's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It was definitely worth the re-read, I had forgotten much of the detail and being reminded was a joy. I'd definitely recommend the audiobook, hearing the author read it herself added flavour. The prose has a particular rhythm that I think was well (perhaps better) suited to being read aloud, and the accent didn't hurt either.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Child death and Forced institutionalization

lorenag5's review

challenging dark reflective tense slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War