Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Severance by Ling Ma

37 reviews

kyeruhh's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

This is the kind of book that makes me wish I was still in school and could analyze in English class. The fact that this was published in 2018 is wild to me with how spot on some of the characters mindsets to a pandemic are.

I tend to not enjoy when books have open endings, and this was no exception BUT I do feel that it fits with Candace’s sort of aimless personality.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Medical content, and Suicide

bluebrooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

this book is gonna stick with me for a long time. i've never related to a character more than candace, and i feel like i really understand her. the only critical things i have to say about the ending are that it felt rushed and i wish ling ma would have developed candace's character just a bit more. there were definitely a few loose ends with this book and the ending is pretty open - ma makes allusions to passages from the beginning of the novel in the final pages, which helps brain everything full circle. still, i was left wanting more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief

Minor: Abortion, Vomit, and Alcohol

courtney23's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Suicide

maziodynes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Absolutely stunning. This is the next great American novel for milennials living through a global pandemic. It puts things into sharp perspective for those of us continuing to push through corporate jobs while the world feels like it's crumbling. The story is superbly executed, poignant, and simultaneously reverent and mocking of American culture. I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long, long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Grief, Gaslighting, and Drug use

jmcordero's review

dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, and Vomit

Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, and Sexual content

moiracampbell23's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Gore and Misogyny

Minor: Drug use, Sexism, and Violence

pamreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book felt more like a horror novel because I made the smartest decision to read this while living in a pandemic. It's super scary reading this and comparing it to what's happening now. I obviously made the super smart choice for my mental health :P I really liked how the novel went back and forth in time. Candace's narrative really helps you understand how the fever progressed, especially with a novel as short as this one. While it's a really good story and I understand why the author would leave it open-ended, I unrealistically wanted a happy ending because reality is too spooky for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

awashinfeeling's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, and Violence

Minor: Religious bigotry and Suicide

f18's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicide, and Xenophobia

Minor: Abortion, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

queertrash's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: Drug use