Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

5 reviews

booksinkandpaper2's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

This was unexpectedly beautiful, even though highly recommended by a bookish podcaster and Patreon content creator that I trust. I think it was one of her top 10 of last year. So I found it at my library and opened the cover. What I found here is historical fiction mostly centering around two women. Isabel lives in a home alone, owned by an uncle. Her brothers check on her now and again and visit. Louis, who will inherit the home, brings girlfriend Eva home because he believes he is totally in love with her. Isabel sees Eva as flighty and fake. She immediately despises her and makes no secret of her distaste for Eva. What unfolds next is the rich and well developed understanding of each character from their experiences, thoughts, behaviors and preferences. It is lyrical and intense and propulsive. Also sensual and descriptive - it slowly develops into an open door relationship you hope will never end. A difficult story of past experiences. A beautiful story about falling in love in a completely unexpected journey. And the discovery of what lengths someone will go to in order to capture what they desire and make it their own. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kimveach's review

Go to review page

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • 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

4.0

While the first two sections of this book were paced slowly, it was worth the payoff at the end. It was a disturbing book, and I'm not sure the ending could have happened. Regardless, I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

memeraryfiction's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.75

The Safekeep is an incredible book; I couldn't put it down and read it in two sittings. Van der Wouden's writing is excellent; she conveys tension and emotion so beautifully. Given the book's subject matter (memory, loss, echoes of the Second World War), it could easily have become maudlin but never did. I find war novels a very difficult sell these days (because there are just so many of them!), but this one is well worth reading.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ally_reads_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad slow-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

3.0

This book dragged in the middle. It had a strong finish and I liked the twist. I wish I had skipped ahead to part 3 when I started to get bored of
the romance
in part 2. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

amandarosexox's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

Truly phenomenal writing, one of my new favourite books. I highly recommend this book, it’s just beautiful. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings