Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Don't Cry for Me: A Novel by Daniel Black

20 reviews

evilyn's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicide, and Transphobia

lea's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Alcoholism and Slavery

lindsloveslit's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Shout out to @mea.booknook (on IG) for the buddy read via @the.storygraph. Having someone to talk through the heaviness of the book with was something I didn't know I was going to need. 💜 Y'all, this book was captivating - so much so that I stayed up late to read it (& sleep is my favorite, so this is saying a lot). It was heart breaking, but it also reminded me that I love historical fiction. It left me almost speechless - the perspective it gives is not one often told, and it is IMPORTANT. That said, it felt incomplete. I missed the son and the mothers perspective, and I WANT A SEQUEL with their thoughts and point of view. 🤞🏽
Some of my favorite quotes were:

"...this record of a poor Black father's appeal, is what any dying daddy might say to his son... Many of them were handed so little, yet expected so much. They gave more than they had, but less than we need."

"Now I see why you and your mother read so much. It makes you think, makes you see things you can't see, and that was my problem. I had all kinds of opinions ,but I couldn't see a damn thing."

"The more I thought about it, the more hurt I became. Hurt is worse than anger, you know. Anger dwells in the head, then fades. Hurt lingers in the soul. It arranges your feelings without your permission. It binds you."

"The day I finished the book, I closed it slowly. It had opened my eyes as if, my entire life, I'd been asleep. I'd never known I could decide how to live, how to be in this world. Never knew I had the right."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infidelity and Abortion

wai's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Hate crime, Infidelity, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide

hanreadin's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, and Abortion

jazhandz's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Homophobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

Minor: Hate crime

mkzach's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Abortion, and Death of parent

brtf13's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

sj_54's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

This book was in equal parts one of the easiest things to read, and the most difficult.

The writing style flows beautifully, and the pages just fly by. I am a big fan of this kind of approach, written as letters addressed to someone, which focuses the story on the relationships of the characters without getting stuck in extraneous details.

On the other hand, the subject matter absolutely necessitated frequent breaks to absorb and reflect, and I think the author did a marvelous job breaking up the letters so the reader has that chance between chapters. 

This is not a book you rush through and then promptly move on from. It sticks with you and commands attention.
It's a beautiful exploration of growth, regret, parenthood, and the things that separate us, or bring us together. 

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for access to the eBook ARC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Rape

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion

brittonmc1221's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Death of parent