Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Outlawed by Anna North

70 reviews

cheye13's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-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? Yes

4.0

This was very engaging and a fresh take on the genre. It's gave me exactly what I'd been missing from Sarah Gailey's Upright Women Wanted. The world was tangible, and I especially appreciated how well nuances were conveyed – depression, bisexuality, gender identity – without the vocabulary we use.

That being said, I don't think western stories are really for me? There's always such a deep pain and/or hopelessness within them that never seems to hit my catharsis button. This one came very close with each of the outlaw's backstories, but the ultimate plot just left me with, "Well. Okay."

This was definitely my favorite western I've ever read, though. Leagues above.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Misogyny, and Infertility

Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, Blood, Abortion, Confinement, Miscarriage, and Homophobia

Minor: Ableism, Rape, Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

ableism wrt: implied bipolar disorder (or perhaps other psychosis), implied post partum depression medical/injury content wrt: gunshot wounds, childbirth & miscarriage, castration, hypothermia, various illnesses

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.75

I've never been a fan of Westerns, but this dystopian version was interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, Biphobia, Blood, Confinement, Death, Outing, Police brutality, Racism, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Suicidal thoughts

azalia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Racism, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Homophobia, Self harm, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Addiction, Gun violence, and Hate crime

bookstorian's review against another edition

3.5

At first I really wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book, for one reason or another it wasn't immediately added to my TBR but when I found it on the shelf of my nearest second hand bookstore for the right price it was mine. 

Set against the harsh American West in the late 1800's Ada's inability to have a child leads her to join the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang in order to survive and search for meaning. With beautiful descriptions of place, a swagger of empowered and curious characters who were unified in their pain and anger as well as exploration of themes including hysteria, shame, womanhood, gender identity and sexuality 'Outlawed' was a unique and riveting story which had me yearning for a blaze of glory ending. 

Some things that I did struggle with was how realistic the story actually was in terms of divorce, illegitimate children, convents and witchcraft, a quick author's note about some of these things would have been great. I did also feel kind of robbed with the love story, it was so short lived. 

Similar to Milan. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Infertility, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

breadwitchery's review

adventurous medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abortion, and Medical content

Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Slavery, Animal death, Rape, Incest, and Death of parent

ekmook's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Sexism

Moderate: Racism

taylahmay's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Confinement, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion and Miscarriage

emelymarie's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Mental illness, Murder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

gracetcline's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A surprisingly fast read, the themes of "Outlawed" answer the social issues women and LGBTQ+ folks have been facing for hundreds of years. Placing women and LGBTQ+ characters into a landscape that is usually not represented for us, the book is a refreshing spin on adventurous westerns and non-male centered love stories. Although North leaves much to be desired, regarding character development, the book leaves readers on a hopeful note, and for me personally, with a new love for western adventures. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infertility, and Racism

Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage

larkiereads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-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

2.75

I was sold on this book for the queer rep, but that aspect of it was kind of lackluster. Some characters are implied to be queer, there is a trans woman and a non binary character. However someone needs to introduce this author to the concept of pronouns that aren't he or she because any scene around the Kid got a little tiresome. Is 'they' really that hard to write?

I also felt like the plot was a little lackluster. The first third of the book is centered on getting the main character to the other main ones, and then there's just a long waiting period where she sits around and feels left out. This is definitely character driven, as a LOT of the book is a reflection on the main character's life and history, and flashbacks are frequent. While I think these flashbacks were well done and I appreciated how she built them up before they came back to be relevant later, I do think this slowed down the main plot. 

The writing for this book was really well done, and I felt like the characters were fairly fleshed out - although I'm not sure they entirely lived up to that first scene where Ada meets the rest of the gang and there was so much promise for an interesting group dynamic! But then we mostly got snapshots of individual interactions, so while we know how each gang member feels about Ada and the Kid, I have no idea how, for example, News and Agnes Rose get along. I wish we could have seen more of the group than just their individual opinions on Ada. But the action scenes were exciting, I got attached to the characters enough to be upset when bad things happened, and it was a fast enough read that I didn't grow to resent its faults too much. I was just hoping for more.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt