Reviews tagging 'Death'

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

19 reviews

rebeccadiv's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

This book was very interesting to me because when I was reading it, I was engaged. But when I would put it down, I didn't feel particularly drawn to pick it up again. I'm not sure I would have finished it if I didn't have the second one on my TBR to read. I did enjoy following how all of the characters connected though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Self harm, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Addiction, and Suicide

Minor: War, Homophobia, and Racism

annaki_laila's review against another edition

reflective 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

3.75

Weird. Good and bad. Once I realised each chapter was the first and last time we'd get each character's perspective, I enjoyed it more - it felt more valuable. Overall interesting. One major thing I didn't like was the last chapter - maybe could've done entirely without it, and made the PowerPoint chapter the last one (I enjoyed that one) - because the cynical take on the future really overshadowed the actual narrative and full-circle-ness, for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Racism, Self harm, and Death

readbycarina's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death, Self harm, Grief, and Misogyny

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Addiction, Body shaming, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Cancer, Classism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts

traa's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Violence, Colonisation, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Suicide, Death, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Addiction, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Self harm, and Drug abuse

Minor: Medical content, Religious bigotry, War, Violence, Racism, Genocide, and Homophobia

phantomgecko's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Not a novel exactly but not just a collection of short stories. Densely interconnected snippets of different lives. Each chapter is written in a unique style that tempts me to call it some sort of long form poetry. Styles that stuck out being the one with all (the parentheses), the one in second person, and the one that was a powerpoint.

I didn't really care for the people and what they were doing, but I enjoyed the circles and knots that wove them all together. Like, wow, all these terrible people really couldn't have done it by themselves. I need a bulletin board covered in pins and string to illustrate how wildly connected these stories all are. Especially the ones that seem out of place, like where the PR lady does business with a war criminal.

Again, not just short stories. Though some of the chapters could be interesting stand-alones, the effect of all of them together is just top notch.

Also, the peeking into the future was fascinating. A new baby boom. The devolution of language. Wild stuff.

So, in conclusion, I really really liked this book's structure and premise and details and styles. But I didn't care about the characters and what they did nor about the music/punk/art/drug scene prominent in most of the characters' lives.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, and Toxic relationship

si0ban's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Death

Minor: Suicide attempt

unboxedjack's review against another edition

reflective fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

mixyplixl's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

meliemelo's review against another edition

challenging tense slow-paced

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

3.25

 It took me a while to get into it, and had I stopped a few chapters in, my overall impression would be that I didn't like it. I did however come to admire at least the form, the effort in trying different styles and ideas (one chapter towards the end comes to mind especially). Once I saw what the author was trying to do, I appreciated it much more, even though I still found it all a tad too bleak for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Death, and Drug use