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abidoodle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism and Homophobia
Minor: Abortion and Violence
amiahhh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Alcoholism, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Homophobia
josh_mza's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, and Suicide
Minor: Abandonment, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Addiction
jessthanthree's review
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Eating disorder, Violence, Mental illness, and Racism
Minor: Racial slurs
desiderium_incarnate's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
das Leben der vier Geschwister wird in diesem Buch nacheinander dargestellt. Alles beginnt mit dem Tag, an dem sie ihren Todestag erfahren. Eine einschneidende Erfahrung für die Kinder damals, die sie ihr ganzes Leben begleitet. Es werden glaubhaft dynamische Familienbande gezeigt, der Einfluss von Religion und Spiritualität auf das Leben wird behandelt und Sexualität und mentale Gesundheit wird angesprochen. Dir zentrale Diskussion jedoch, die ebenfalls gen Ende sehr elegant direkt in den Text eingewoben wird, ist, Leben vs. Überleben. Wie verhält man sich im Angesicht seines eigenen Ablebens? Geht man lieber auf Nummer sicher und versucht die Zukunft doch noch etwas zu beeinflussen oder nimmt man die Zeit, die man hat und macht das beste draus? Lieber im Jetzt leben oder im Potential der Zukunft?
Moderate: Infidelity, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Excrement, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit
bi_n_large's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Violence, Self harm, Sexual content, Gun violence, Death, Animal cruelty, Racism, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Medical content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Abortion
lovelybookshelf's review
- 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
3.5
The Immortalists hinges on the question above, and explores how four siblings' lives play out after finding out, as children, the dates of their deaths. This was my virtual book club's March pick. I finished reading it a week ago, but I feel like I'm still processing some things about this book. It'll be interesting to see how tonight's conversation goes.
I loved Chloe Benjamin's writing. The prologue starts off with our four sibling protagonists as children, and it reads like an especially beautifully-written middle grade novel. This style places you right into the children's perspective, complete with all their wonder and curiosity, bravery and trepidation. That prologue really set the stage for the rest of the story. The writing style changes tone as the children grow up, and we as readers are swept along in it. I was surprised by how much of the book is written in present tense. It's done so well that I didn't actually notice until halfway through.
Simon: Her writing of gay characters is stereotypical and a little...weird. At times it bordered on caricature-like because of its heavy focus on gayness as tragedy, through an obviously straight lens. That didn't feel good as a queer reader. I should not see the "bury your gays" trope coming when I've practically just met the character. But I can't deny that there are also some very tender moments that are handled beautifully, and the tragedy of it all hit hard. And there's a side character from Simon's life who reappears at the end, whose words clarified some things for me and redeemed some of these reservations. (Not all, but some.)
The Romani rep was not good. Honestly, I thought it was pretty disrespectful. "Magical Romani" and "Dishonest Romani" tropes are all throughout this novel. There are a few half-hearted lines about how they're misunderstood, they're "not all like that," but these lines were so feeble they seemed like an afterthought, as if she was trying to justify writing offensive descriptions of the fortune teller's family.
So yes, these two cliché, contrived aspects were frustrating, but I have to say, I was fully invested in these siblings' lives and loved reading about them. They were all so different from each other! And I was completely dazzled by Chloe Benjamin's writing style. So I don't regret my time spent with The Immortalists, and I'm likely to read more of her work.
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and Gun violence