Reviews tagging 'Racism'

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

47 reviews

rachel101's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Grief, Death, Excrement, Panic attacks/disorders, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Vomit, Racism, Torture, Violence, and War

cityiguana's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Really a beautiful book. I read it right after Demon Copperhead (also an excellent book) which felt to be largely about the ways that adults can be cruel to children. There are cruel characters and dark parts of All The Light We Cannot See, but the kindness and nobility of the characters really shines through. Emotional, gripping, sad, beautiful, and incredibly hopeful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, War, Racism, Antisemitism, and Violence

Moderate: Genocide, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Rape, Mental illness, Ableism, Grief, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Confinement, and Bullying

Minor: Terminal illness

shaleen64's review against another edition

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.

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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

ella_ruby's review against another edition

I really liked what I did read specifically the almost lyrical and highly descriptive style of writing. I actually completely forgot about it but want to read all of it in the future

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Ableism, War, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Confinement

Minor: Genocide, Racism, and Antisemitism

aliviafernando's review against another edition

challenging informative sad

2.5

This book was hard for me to get into. I found that the ending was anticlimactic and we waited for something and the moment last about 2 pages. This book was hyped a lot but I am disappointed. The words were beautiful, especially the descriptions, but the storylines together was sometimes hard to follow. I really enjoyed reading about Marie's struggle as a blind girl during the war.
 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Murder, Sexual violence, and Racism

shelbmoney13's review against another edition

challenging inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.25

I enjoyed that this challenged me as a reader. The author wrote so beautiful and use such great literary devices including imagery and metaphors as well as personification. I am such a romance girly at heart so I wanted more but it was a truthful ending of the times. Not everyone gets a happy ending or even an ending with answers to their qwuestions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Racism, and Rape

readerworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Classism, Gore, War, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Religious bigotry, and Trafficking

enchantingreads_rosyreviews's review against another edition

3.75

"You know the greatest lesson of history? It's that history is whatever the victors say it is. That's the lesson. Whoever wins, that's who decides the history. We act in our own self interest. Of course we do. Name a person or a nation who does not. The trick is figuring out where your interests are."

📻
Reasons why this book is great: 

1. Every sentence and paragraph paints a vivid picture in your head; almost as if creating a world for someone who is unable to physically see it (like the main character, Marie-Laure). 
2. Definition of a beautifully tragic tale. The author doesn’t shy away from the dark side of war or survival during occupation, but also describes the world to remind us to cherish every day. 
3. Written as an epic tale, with high-stakes, action, character growth, and drama. 
4. For anyone who’s a fan of independent films or typical Oscar-nominated films, this story taps into that same general vibe.

Whew! This book is one of those that feeds and starves your soul. It's a hard read because it focuses on tragedy (WW2) and the tough choices regular people have to make in times of extreme circumstances. Although the Netflix series did an AMAZING job adapting this book, there is SO. MUCH. MORE. to absorb from the book. Doerr's descriptive language, epic scenery, unique world-view, and likeable characters are truly something to experience.

Also, this was my first book that I used an audio guide to follow along. Honestly, because of the book's epic-ness, I found myself getting lost in the words/descriptions. Having the audiobook companion to keep me on track with my paperback version, was a great help to stay grounded in the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and War

Minor: Xenophobia and Death of parent

This book takes place during Nazi occupation in France, bringing all of the historical elements into this story.

dinklydoo's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Blood, Death, Genocide, Child death, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Hate crime, War, and Alcohol

rcarri264's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This book was beautifully written! I really enjoyed the tiny chapters and how the author conveyed the plot almost through mini stories. I’m not a big historical fiction reader, much less and WWII fiction fan, but I liked this book a lot!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Xenophobia, Violence, Gun violence, and Racism

Minor: Rape