Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Devotion by Hannah Kent

8 reviews

arwen_at_the_library's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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

Beautiful prose, bittersweet story. Nearly dropped my rating in the middle because of an unexpected change of direction in the plot but eventually came to understand and enjoy what the author was doing. Would have also enjoyed it purely as a historical novel without the magical realism also but it was so fantastic it's staying a 5 star read. One of those one that makes you think 'i wish I could write like this'. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: Child abuse and Miscarriage

liv_eleanor's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This was such a beautifully written book, and an absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking storyline. I was breathlessly hooked the entire time I was reading it. The main plot twist was unexpected and interesting and avoided the book being just another historical fiction. Absolutely loved it overall.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal death, and Colonisation

Moderate: Homophobia and Child death

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Blood, Colonisation, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Child death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Misogyny

just22jess22's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Juuuuuuuuuust beautiful. Truly unlike anything I have ever read before. Devotion delivered all of my favourite tropes - anyone who knows me knows that I am always up for historical fiction, I love a thinker, I love a hint of the supernatural.. And when it comes to books, honestly? The sadder, the better. 

I've seen very mixed reactions to the turn this book makes at the halfway mark - honestly I thought it was so clever and really set us up to view the pilgrimage to Australia, and I really felt the heartbreak and hopelessness of the two MCs. 

The writing was immersive and rich, the characters were complex and emotive, the scene was timely and thought-provoking... Truly worth a read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Miscarriage, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

katewhite77's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• 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 fantastically beautiful.

I don't know where to start with this it's so good and has so many layers. At it's core it's a queer love story set in 19th century Prushia and Australia. 

The novel tells the story of a voyage made by an ultra Conservative religious sect from Prushia to the new colony of Australia escaping religious persecution. 

It's about the perils of blind faith death, grief and love. 

The writing is exquisite and it has a fabulous twist I did not see coming. I found it heavy going at first but I stuck with it and it paid me back in spades.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Racism, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, and Child death

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

challenging hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Racism

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Animal death, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Sexism

Minor: Rape

jameslyons's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Violence, Racism, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Colonisation, and Blood

Moderate: Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Homophobia