Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski

5 reviews

kwichris's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

3.75

I typically don't like reading books that center around romance. This book, however, managed to embed historical context and emotionally complex situations that added more to this story than a simple romance that cannot be. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I found myself relating to or finding understanding in the main character's reactions/feelings/thoughts regarding the situation they find themselves in - a love that they cannot express publicly, a country divided post-war, and uncertainty of their own future. For a first entry, the author has crafted quite a nice story, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes a little historical context and input that shapes the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Grief

Moderate: Classism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Outing, War, Sexual content, Drug use, and Antisemitism

Minor: Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Police brutality, and Genocide

rieviolet's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

I appreciated the setting because it focused on a time and place (Poland in the 1980s) that I am almost completely unfamiliar with and it was very interesting to be immersed in it, even if briefly.
I quite liked the narrator's voice and I think that the author was very good at handling Ludwik's emotional journey, the final chapters especially hit me right in the feels, harder than I thought they would.

However, there were some plot points that I found a little bit weird

for example, the drugged soup and the hallucinated stroll in the woods, okay I guess?!

.
Also, I think that at times the language was a tad overwritten and going a bit too heavy on metaphors and similes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, Death of parent, Drug use, Outing, Classism, Sexism, and Grief

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Blood, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Violence

fatfrog's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use and Vomit

elioreadsbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

This book is an ideological crisis wrapped in a love story. The difference between the two main characters is presented primarily through their opinions on the government they live under and how they survive in it. It’s very well written

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, War, and Drug use

Moderate: Death, Antisemitism, Homophobia, and Violence

Minor: Vomit

garynoplastie's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual content, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, War, and Homophobia

Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture