Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

61 reviews

ericj32's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A tender, yet unflinching, account of cruelty that is easier to passively ignore than to confront.  The protagonist is himself vulnerable and busy, and has plenty of reasons to focus on other things but his mind won’t let him forget what he stumbled into and perhaps wishes he had not seen.  The prose is the main attraction here - it feels as though the author is only documenting what the characters choose to acknowledge which somehow creates a palpable sense of the things that they’re not saying out loud.  This brief little book can be easily read in one sitting, yet it somehow feels like it packs in all of the depth and nuance of a much longer novel.  The author’s humble prose conveys only what must be said.  It almost feels more like a parable, as it’s grounded in ancient, essential truths yet told in an accessible, modern form.  I was nervous about where it was going and how it would end (it seemed fairly predictable) and was thoroughly won over by the thrilling last couple of pages.  Looking forward to reading other works by this author as she seems to have a firm grasp on what is worth writing (and reading) about.  

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vixenreader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

While “Foster” made me cry, this one made me seethe with rage, and it is an empathetic novella about mustering the courage to fight against injustices that are buried under the surface, even when you only have your bare hands to dig them up. 

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neverlandangel's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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ruby_mae_read's review

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challenging dark hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75


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bessadams's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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sophiesmallhands's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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faenth's review

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

4.25


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notthatcosta's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I had a lot of anticipation before reading this, and overall I found it very well written and well paced, albeit a lot more subtle than I was expecting. This is my first time reading Claire Keegan's work but I've since seen some reviews remarking that her other stuff is a lot darker than this, which intrigues me. 

The dialogue was particularly strong from the supporting townspeople, the opaqueness of which complemented the earnestness and pathos of the protagonist. I really got a good sense of his temperament, motivations and backstory, which is an achievement in a novella. 

I appreciated the economy of the writing and how it created an air of tension and mystery whilst providing enough exposition to keep you in the story. It made me hungry for more, which is the mark of a good writer, especially of shorter books. 

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aritag's review

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

4.5


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tamara_joy's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0


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