Reviews tagging 'Blood'

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

188 reviews

mariasgraph's review

challenging emotional reflective tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content and Grief

Minor: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

bookshelfhannah's review

challenging emotional tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Car accident

raptorq's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Car accident

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

Minor: Misogyny

kellirogue's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

jennireadsmaybe's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

Akwaeke Emezi packs a heartbreaking punch with Feyi's tale of grief and its everlasting effect on our lives. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is my favorite of the two Emezi works I've read. The forbidden romance plot mixed with Feyi's character really sucked me in. The writing is so easy to want to keep reading. It definitely had the typical messy charm I've come to associate with their storytelling as well as a lush setting description. 

I think the best part of Feyi and Alim's romance is that they've both experience the unique grief of losing a partner that you'd thought you'd grow old with. It makes their romance that much more believable because they understand each other's loss. I generally didn't like the third act drama from Alim's grown-ass kids, but I understood why it happened. I would've liked to see just a little bit more at the end, but it was still very good. 

Read this if you like forbidden/friends dad romance, being insanely attracted to someone you shouldn't, delicious and delectable foods, and art that packs a punch.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia

smartcookiesca's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Toxic friendship

Minor: Biphobia, Cancer, Child death, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Violence

kristenreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Car accident

Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Biphobia

isabelsophiex's review

emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood and Medical trauma

peggy_racham's review against another edition

5.0

Truely no words are there to describe this book. Hooked from first page to the end. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

jupitercaii's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.5

I tried reading this book a while ago but had to DNF because it was kind of triggering. However, I think that's mostly because the book was so real (for lack of better words). The messiness of grief as a concept and, especially, how it impacts relationships was very well done. It felt very honest and raw.

The portrayal of the characters dealing with grief was messy but in a good way. It made the characters feel realistic, easy to love, and connect to. Each character was well developed with their own personalities, development, and conflicts. None of the progress felt rushed and managed to make everything feel realistic.

The book balanced the romance and healing process very well. I don't think one ever overpowered the other, but rather that they built off of each other.

One the downside, there were certain parts that I felt dragged. I listened to the audiobook and found myself having to rewind a few times because it wasn't always super engaging. That being said, these parts were very rare (maybe 2 or 3 sections?).

Overall, a book I would still recommend with the caveat of reading trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, and Car accident

Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia