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carlottalw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
cadams93's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Written in a weird order that kept giving me deja vu. Ultimately paid off with the twist at the end but the pace was so calm and random that I didn’t think there was a twist to look forward to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Grief, and Death of parent
andrewspink's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a challenging, even shocking, book. It is not until right at the end that all the pieces fall into place and that the reader really understands what is going on. That also makes it very difficult to write a review completely avoiding spoilers.
The chapters switch between different perspectives and dates, and this done well. Sometimes I get a bit lost in books with flashbacks, but here Alex Schulman always unobtrusively but clearly makes it known when we are. One of the boys, Benjamin, has exceptional powers of observation. He uses this 'trick' very effectively as a means of pointing out all sorts of small but crucial details to the reader which would otherwise be difficult to bring over.
He is also very good at conjuring up the atmosphere of places, like the summerhouse.
There are also some strange things. He seems to have an odd obsession with urine. Is it meant to be symbolic of something?
It is soon apparent that the book is about a dysfunctional family and how they cope with a trauma from the past. It is not an easy topic and it deals with it exceptionally well.
The chapters switch between different perspectives and dates, and this done well. Sometimes I get a bit lost in books with flashbacks, but here Alex Schulman always unobtrusively but clearly makes it known when we are. One of the boys, Benjamin, has exceptional powers of observation. He uses this 'trick' very effectively as a means of pointing out all sorts of small but crucial details to the reader which would otherwise be difficult to bring over.
He is also very good at conjuring up the atmosphere of places, like the summerhouse.
There are also some strange things. He seems to have an odd obsession with urine. Is it meant to be symbolic of something?
It is soon apparent that the book is about a dysfunctional family and how they cope with a trauma from the past. It is not an easy topic and it deals with it exceptionally well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Animal death
jessiiiru's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Alcoholism
archaicrobin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
I had no idea what The Survivors was about when I grabbed it, but I saw it EVERYWHERE! I’m so happy I decided to grab it from the library when I saw it because it was such a tragic and moving story about brothers and how they deal with the trauma of their childhoods.
The story is told backwards, starting at the end and making its way back to the beginning. Told from Benjamin’s perspective, the middle brother or three, you see glimpses of a dysfunctional, and at times abusive family, as they try to bond and enjoy themselves at their summer lake house in the Swedish wilderness.
Schulman does an excellent job of capturing that temperamental bond between siblings where you feel like you have a constant companion that you sometimes love fiercely but also sometimes hate with the same tenacity. While tragic, I could not put this down and finished it quickly in two days.
Warnings: animal cruelty, animal death, parent deaths.
The story is told backwards, starting at the end and making its way back to the beginning. Told from Benjamin’s perspective, the middle brother or three, you see glimpses of a dysfunctional, and at times abusive family, as they try to bond and enjoy themselves at their summer lake house in the Swedish wilderness.
Schulman does an excellent job of capturing that temperamental bond between siblings where you feel like you have a constant companion that you sometimes love fiercely but also sometimes hate with the same tenacity. While tragic, I could not put this down and finished it quickly in two days.
Warnings: animal cruelty, animal death, parent deaths.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Grief, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Suicide attempt
sideknee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child death, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse
eatliftread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
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