Reviews tagging 'Death'

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

243 reviews

gab_l23's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Death

Minor: Rape

kirchnerkd's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment and Bullying

Minor: Cancer and Death of parent

michellebelle4's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Blood, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Violence, Xenophobia, Ableism, Gun violence, War, Body horror, Genocide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Rape, Vomit, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

lazza's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I initially found it really hard to get into and initially confusing but once I got about 100 pages in it picked up and I enjoyed it a lot more

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, War, Religious bigotry, Violence, Terminal illness, and Cancer

Moderate: Antisemitism

ilana_pop's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

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

3.5

While I understand why the ending is the way that it is, it completely took me out of the story. Felt rather weak and really dragged the whole book down for me. I've yet to find a WW II novel that truly captivated me, that feels like a historical work. Also, feeling gutted we got so little Werner. Where I feel we really got to know Marie-Laure, I kept waiting to truly find out who Werner was. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, War, Death, Violence, and Gun violence

shaleen64's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book is beautifully written with two characters at its centre. Both lovable in their own way, both forced towards different goals but ultimately brought together by a sense of doing what is right. The book makes you view the Second World War in a different light without becoming a history text book. There’s heartbreak, anger, horror and despair but hope and love throughout. If you loved the Book Thief, or anything similar, this should be your next read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Racism, and Chronic illness

Minor: Slavery, Torture, Rape, and Sexism

noiraet's review

medium-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Death, Antisemitism, and Rape

san_dra's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Terminal illness, and War

Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, and Cancer

therealsouls's review

challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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? No

3.25

3.25 stars

What a book. I love dangerous settings in books, there's just a certain aesthetic to them.

"All The Light We Cannot See" is a challenging book in dual POV, exploring the lives of a blind French girl Marie-Laure and a young and gifted German orphan named Werner, all during the mayhem of World War Two. The novel recounts themes such as the impact of propaganda on Werner and Marie-Laure yearning to belong somewhere.

The prose was incredible. Crafted by a literary god, I have never seen someone who can craft such addicting descriptions as Doerr. Interweaving imagery and dialogue like the man was born for it. The literary equivalent of Haribos, right here you guys. Take this image:

"Their son, Max, is six, fond of mud, dogs, and questions no one can answer."

Or the fabricated contrast in these lines, symbolising overthinking:

"Just a dumb model of this town.
Which is why he walked away.
Look inside Etienne's house.
'What's wrong?' asks Etienne.
Inside the house."

What the fuck? How do you manage to use italics and conciseness to portray meditative thoughts, without easing the word thought or meditation once? Jesus Christ! Chill!

In all fairness, the novel was distinctive. There were characters of most, if not all, ages. Doerr carefully considered the circumstances of the characters, such as a heightened sense of awareness for Marie-Laure's point-of-view due to her blindness, and historical reliability of the fascist regime of Nazi Germany and the chaos of World War Two. Some allusions made me curious on some history, so I researched and even learned something new!

I have one caveat though.

Throughout the duration of the plot, not much happens. The juicy stuff happens in the last 50 pages, and Doerr needs to work on his pacing. Werner and Marie meet during two chapters! That's it! Two chapters! And they don't even kiss! What the hell? Sure, I didn't expect romance; however it would have improved my rating!

Excluding that, I enjoyed the novel. It was a hard and emotional read, very mature, but Doerr portrayed these events in an intriguing and engaging way; I could hardly put the book down, especially for the last 50 pages. I applaud his work of genius.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, and Violence

christiemaple's review

adventurous emotional reflective sad 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Bullying, Excrement, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence