Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

46 reviews

plantybooklover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

 This book is a challenge. It is beautifully written, complex. It's a total mash up- Sci Fi, Fantasy, Horror.   
Overview:  Vern escapes a cult known as Cain -Land as a pregnant teen. She births twins in the woods and chooses an extrordinarily difficult path to raise them while avoiding those from the compound who pursue her. Vern develops supernatural powers and features and must work to understand and control them. 
  This book- though under 400 pages packs a punch to the gut.  I was struck by the massive amount of references to both great black literature, and intense black American traumatic events.  While I caught a lot of them, I'm sure I missed more.  
   I would have enjoyed reading this slower, with a group, but... I finished it up for the Trans Right Readathon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Blood, Sexual violence, and Gore

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Medical content, and Infertility

cleot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Body horror, Medical trauma, Stalking, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Torture, Animal death, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Suicide

human experimentation and parasitism are central themes

calamitydane's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

This book was fascinating start to finish. The themes, the voice, the settings, the characters were all engrossing and captivating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Child abuse, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Child death, Murder, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse

transgender

,

intersex

,

lesbian

zombiezami's review against another edition

5.0

This was mesmerizing. The characters and the narrative were so amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Animal death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Death, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Stalking, Suicide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Gun violence, Homophobia, Torture, Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Minor: Colonisation, Racial slurs, and Slavery

Intersexism

katherineshawwrites's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is one of those books that stick with you. It's gritty and bleak, yet fascinating, surprising and powerful. Rivers Solomon doesn't hold back when laying bare the US' dark history of colonisation, corruption, racism and religious oppression, putting these themes at the forefront of this dark speculative story. There is mystery throughout, with the truth being bizarre and yet believable, leading us into a gripping, tragic and somehow hopeful finale.

It isn't an easy read - Vern is definitely a morally grey main character who can be unlikeable at times, but she's also incredibly sympathetic, and you are always rooting for her to finally achieve peace, both with herself and her situation.

All in all, an excellent book, and I will definitely pick up more of Solomon's work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Racism, Murder, Blood, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Violence, Animal death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Colonisation, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Misogyny

sirthatsacowboy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Stalking, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Medical content, Body horror, Gore, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

ash_ton's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.75

i read this for the LGBTQIA+ book club i'm a part of! i don't normally gravitate towards science fiction so it's always nice to be pleasantly surprised. 
i was not expecting the turn the book took. like, at all. wild

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Homophobia, Blood, Stalking, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Sexism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Cannibalism, Child death, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Suicide, Bullying, Cancer, and Cultural appropriation

hel_lothere's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

really really good. impactful and horrific

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Medical content, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Racism, Blood, Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Physical abuse

mjadeh's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Murder, Violence, Blood, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexism, Stalking, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Physical abuse

savvylit's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

Sorrowland is a thrilling and captivating story right from the start. Solomon plunges readers directly into Vern's post-escape world in the woods. The details of Vern's former cult, The Blessed Acres of Cain, are then slowly revealed to the reader in increasingly disturbing flashbacks. Once Vern, Feral, and Howling leave the safety of the land, the story becomes even more riveting. Vern experiences a painful and mysterious physical change. Her evolving form is clearly connected to the cult she left behind - but she doesn't know how or why. Readers join Vern on her voyage of discovery and learn the truth of it all alongside her.

Beyond the engrossing and mysterious plot, Sorrowland is also chock-full of loveable characters. Vern is palpable, nuanced, and relatable. Feral and Howling are adorable and some of the most fully-formed child characters I've ever experienced in fiction. Bridget and Gogo are beautifully portrayed characters whose imperfections make them all the more loveable. Essentially, every single character in this book felt like a real person & now I miss them all.

Last - but not at all least - the thematic content in this book is a delight. Solomon gives us queer love, found family, government conspiracy, cult dynamics, backwoods survivalism, and magical realism. If any of these themes appeal to you, Sorrowland is not to be missed!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Stalking, Violence, Death, Animal death, Pregnancy, Medical content, Grief, Racism, Medical trauma, Body horror, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts