Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes on by Franny Choi

17 reviews

panickedhonking's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

A strange mix of the most tragic and heartbreaking poems which gave me a sense that there's something after every apocalypse. Exhaustive list of content warnings somehow non-exhaustive still.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Death, Misogyny, Genocide, Eating disorder, Slavery, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, War, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Mass/school shootings, Body horror, Suicide, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Child death, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Rape, Xenophobia, and Sexual assault

hanhantap's review

challenging dark tense fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Sexual assault

Minor: Rape

sakeriver's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

When I first read the title of this book, the image that came to mind was of a world—or perhaps a people—callously looking away and carrying on as if nothing had happened, one world ignorant of or insensitive to the ending of another. And this reading is present in the poems, though the poems’ speaker can never look away, from a family’s partition, a loved one’s suicide, one empire and then another crushing and raping those it has colonized, the grief of past endings, and the terror of those unfolding now. 

 

Yet the title also can suggest a world of persistence, of survival. A world that continues beyond the conflagration, coming out the other side. One where a future great-great-granddaughter might wonder about her ancestor’s life. Where life can still exist, even flourish. And this reading, too, is present in the poems. 

 

The poems hold both of these worlds in their hands, and they allow—require—the reader to hold them, too. They cry out in pain and fear, and whisper gently in comfort, too. Not the comfort of exoneration or complacency, but the comfort of a stranger’s milk offered to wash the tear gas from our eyes, of the thought that perhaps this will not all be in vain. That perhaps some future child will say: “thank you for healing / what you could; for passing down what you couldn’t.” 

 

I think I needed this book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Colonisation, Death, Suicide, and Sexual violence

tmchopra's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, War, Genocide, Misogyny, Colonisation, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic

meaghanelizabook's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Racism

Moderate: Suicide

juney_'s review

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, Grief, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, War, Blood, Genocide, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

this poetry collection is amazing. Incredibly sad at points, but the use of sunsets and nature as something tragic, disturbing, and overbearing really is incredibly powerful and moving. I really enjoyed this book. 💝

words_and_coffee's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, War, Racism, Violence, Grief, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexism, Suicide, Rape, and Police brutality

pabi's review

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deportation, Racism, War, Colonisation, Death, Police brutality, Classism, Genocide, Grief, and Gun violence

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

ekg's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape and Suicide

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Some things referenced went over my head especially the most personal poems that mentioned Sam. But that gives me reasons to come back and reread the book. 

I loved it and I loved Choi’s love and despair and grief and hope for the world. I think the book is very relatable to every one though some of the terms seem very modern or text/online slang or terms I’m not sure how an older audience may read it (tho there’s plenty of other things I had to look up).  I think it’s very relatable to the current feeling on the world on fire and grief for everyone everywhere, with specific reference to American tragedies such as masa shootings, the Atlanta spa shootings and violence to children in the name of care (such as Grace who’s news story flickered on the back of my mind while reading) that makes this book ache in a particular way as an American. But it’s also a book with global concerns and comments whether it’s from the authors Korean heritage or grief for the ongoing indigenous genocide in the Americas since Columbus or anti blackness or the imperialism America has export. And it’s a book with so much love and grief and also hope and I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, Torture, Stalking, Misogyny, Grief, Cursing, War, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Racism, Child abuse, Trafficking, Suicide, Slavery, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Genocide, Deportation, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Death