Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

73 reviews

ahbmacgregor's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, War, Suicide, Pregnancy, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Slavery

dancingprince's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Colonisation, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

Minor: Slavery and Pregnancy

kurumipanda's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Slavery

Moderate: Pregnancy, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Self harm

nearlyfearless's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

razzberry_pi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

Deeply rooted in the impacts of intergenerational pain and trauma, The Deep offers a glimpse into an underwater civilization built by the decendents of kidnapped pregnant African women who were throw overboard during the trans atlantic slave trade. 
Tackling differing views on the role that history, storytelling and trauma can play in a society along with beaufiful prose and world building. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Slavery

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Minor: Pregnancy

galexy_brain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

3.75

This novella beautifully explores how intergenerational trauma can wear on individuals of later generations. It touches on how forgetting is easier but doesn't allow for healing. Interrogating the past is important because one is nothing without their history. Supporting one another as a community is a way to work through the collective trauma that stops individuals from shouldering the burden alone. 

I overall enjoyed this book but found the main character, Yetu, quite frustrating. I appreciated that the themes also explored parents misunderstanding their children (notable quote: "Yetu appreciated Amaba's caring nature, but sometimes her gentle chiding turned into chafing, and Yetu was reminded of all that was wrong between them.") and what I interpreted as navigating a neurotypical world as a neurodiverse person. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, War, Slavery, Animal death, Death, Grief, and Kidnapping

catwhisperer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Slavery, Trafficking, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Suicidal thoughts

haley49's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

It’s weird to rate this book as if it is a traditional novel. This book was history and theory and philosophy in a fantasy package with no true plot. It is like an African version of the Giver with mermaids and true pain. It feels like mythos that exists to explain the world and teach themes more than to entertain. The subject matter feels vague and yet close to home. Remembering the tragedies of the past is important and this presents the Atlantic slave trade in a new way that we benefit from as readers. That said, the story is deeply tragic and is so vague and cloudy it obscures close connection. The narrative is a story of the collective told through singular eyes. The main character is not made to be super likable but to be a person trying to exist beyond the vicitimhood of their situation. It’s about generational trauma and the effect on one’s self.  
I hope any of that makes sense but what I mean to say is that it’s existence is profound and important but not necessarily enjoyable as it’s own work without context and intention. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

doomluz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Genocide, Pregnancy, Murder, and Slavery

Minor: Colonisation and Child death

nightfell's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I was going to rate this 4.5, but I can't remember what I disliked about it, and I have not stopped thinking about this book since I read it, so 5 stars.
This book follows the historian as she holds all her people's memories to preserve her people's happiness, thus leaving her conflicted about her identity. This concept sounded amazing when I first heard about it, and the author really did such a good job with the follow through. The chapter which told the people's history left me speechless and stunned, I am awed by this book even though it's so short. 
Also every character is black and the main character is a lesbian (or sapphic), so please read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide and Death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Slavery

Minor: Animal death

The main character experiences heavy dissociation throughout the book, featuring what is similar to PTSD.