Reviews tagging 'Grief'

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

65 reviews

orion's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Lesbophobia, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Torture, Transphobia, Medical content, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cursing and Death of parent

nagev's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, and Alcohol

solenodon's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcohol

bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

• 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

This is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year and one of my favorite sci-fi books ever. The way Rivers Solomon weaves together commentary about race and oppression and the most interesting take on gender I’ve ever read with beautiful character work and stunning prose. 

Be warned, however, that this is a VERY heavy novel with racism, violence, and death throughout along with a LOT of other potentially triggering content, so PLEASE proceed with care if you’re planning to read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Racism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Grief

tahsintries's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Classism

armontheroad's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Rivers Solomon always delivers with faer books!! This dark space opera is a great commentary on our society. I cared for all of our main characters so much! I will say this book is not for the faint of heart. AN UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS is very graphic and triggering. I have listed all the content warnings I could remember down below! 

CWs: Here are a few that StoryGraph doesn't have options to list: Execution and misgendering

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

lolajh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

A black autistic intersex nonbinary lesbian main character, Aster, in space! Aster’s childhood best friend is Giselle, whose character arc was heartbreaking and traumatic and so raw and real that she and Aster became my favourite characters. Giselle had some minor chapters in her point of view that I wish we got more of because of how interesting of a character she was.

There was also kind of a lead up to what I thought would be a romance or attraction between both Aster and Giselle which didn’t happen, but was understandable due to Giselle’s mental state at the time. Instead Aster romances with Theo, the space ship’s surgeon, who I always saw as more of a parental figure to Aster than a romance, but it developed anyway. Both Theo and Aster are genderqueer; Rivers described online as Aster being nonbinary and Theo a trans woman, which was nice to see and I still very much liked Theo’s character and their experiences and discussions of gender, HOWEVER, there was a sex scene between Aster and Theo in which Aster asks for them to not penetrate her but also not saying what they could do, but Theo goes down on her anyway. So I think there was a mistranslation of proper consent being done here, which is what let down Theo’s character for me, especially after Aster had already had experiences with sexual assault and rape, it really surprised me that Theo would not be so caring and thorough to ask consent of her properly before doing anything. Before that happened as well they do kiss her face and lips without Aster’s consent, dominating over her and overall it seeming like an unbalanced power dynamic that shouldn’t have happened and then Aster continuing to romance them afterwards.

 

Throughout the story Aster uncovers the mysteries of her mother’s death and the blackouts occurring currently on the ship all whilst dealing with trauma and systemic racism and standing up to it more than anyone had done before. Aster is such a strong and admirable character and I loved her progressions of exploring her gender. Will be visiting more of Rivers’ books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Lesbophobia

multiplyoctopi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Dysphoria

alexmoriarty's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

This book is brilliant and beautiful and difficult to read but healing. Takes the science fiction idea of a generation ship and generational trauma and melds them together.

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

My favorite thing about Rivers Solomon’s An Unkindness of Ghosts is its easy inclusivity. Never does this book feel like its trying for token characters or to write a specifically “race” or “LGBTQIAP+” book. The individuals aboard the Matilda are who they are and I think that’s beautiful and it deserves top billing in this review.

While I cannot speak to the overall accuracy of this representation based on personal experiences, it flowed very well and read as quite genuine and normal in every way, which I loved. We have Theo, who is mixed and struggles with religion vs. desire. Giselle is Black. She faces her trauma every day. And Aster? Aster is also Black, neurodivergent, and certainly LGTBQIAP+ though I couldn’t pin down nonbinary vs. gender fluid vs. asexual… but you know what? It doesn’t matter. Aster was a little of all of these and so beautifully defied labels (though Aster does use the she/her pronouns, which Solomon shares early in the book). Even minor characters like Flick are given all their dignity and we know their pronouns are they/them.

An Unkindness of Ghosts tells the story of four different people, to my reckoning. Aster is our front-and-center protagonist, but we also learn Theo’s and Giselle’s stories, and Aster’s mother Lune Grey. All these characters are BIPOC and they are all oppressed in this worldship that so closely parallels the antebellum South. Each one struggles to navigate a system that is so strongly set against them. They fight on different levels and through different professions and pursuits. This book is painful to read – the violence, the torture, the sexual abuse. Solomon doesn’t shy away from sharing the worst of Matilda in full detail, and nor should they. Although An Unkindness of Ghosts is a dystopian science fiction… is it? The largest divergence between this book and our own history is the location: a ship, in space.

The writing is stunning, but reader, please proceed with caution. While I think it’s an important book and everyone should be aware of it, read it, and feel the pain of our history of slavery laid out so bluntly before us… it’s not going to be a safe read for everyone. Please please review the content warnings on my blog and on The StoryGraph before starting this book to steel yourself for the content to follow.

An Unkindness of Ghosts was immersive from the first moments, and aside from the astounding plot and character building, the world itself burst alive from the page. There is so much hurt in this novel, but the moments of beauty are there too, although much fewer. The dance of all the elements woven together seamlessly make An Unkindness of Ghosts a particularly impressive novel. My one disappointment was the non-excitement of the very ending. The book was running full speediest moments before, and the end fell a little flat for me.

I dearly recommend this book to anyone. It has some heavy adult moments so may be more of a longterm TBR item for younger teen readers. As an adult, this story made me ache and I will certainly be reading Solomon’s next book, Sorrowland.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Abandonment, and Alcohol