Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden

22 reviews

suzis_shelves's review

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

rieviolet's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

This book is certainly quite peculiar in terms of narrative form and also of point of view (the chapters from the perspective of a desk, I mean what was that?!). 
I think that when it worked for me, it worked really really well and I was left really impressed by the writing style and the profound and poignant exploration of a certain topic. However, when it didn't work, it really really didn't work for me and I just felt very confused and like the narrative style had been overdone a bit too much. 
Also, some sections where the character of Death was talking sounded to me too much like an essay, maybe too much "telling, and not showing", not very subtly handled. 

At times it felt a bit overly graphic (the list of content warnings is so long that, honestly, it'd be easier to say what is not included) and I'm not sure if it was really necessary for the story. So many examples of very brutal crimes are included and the section with example after example of different types of deaths is quite taxing to get through.

I think it was a bit of a mixed bag for me but I'm still glad to have tried something a bit out of of my literary comfort zone. 

You grow and
become who you are 
you grow into your shape
I could have been anything
but this was the shape the world 
carved into me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Violence, Sexual violence, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Blood, Suicide, Mental illness, Grief, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Slavery, Physical abuse, Cursing, Cannibalism, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, and Racism

Minor: Vomit, Excrement, War, Torture, Fatphobia, Trafficking, Transphobia, and Addiction

katiewhocanread's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Cursing, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Classism, Child death, Mental illness, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Child abuse

Minor: Cannibalism

funktious's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-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

4.5

If you ever wonder whether you’re a bit morbid because you think about death, then you should read this. As much poetry as fiction and more of a miscellany than a straightforward novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Misogyny

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

whatellisreadnext's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

I absolutely loved this. What a unique little book. If you find death as fascinating as I do, you definitely need to read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Suicide

rosalind's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.25

I added about 1 star for the ‘Oh, to be a piano!’ which I found charming. Otherwise, this was a book that felt basically irredeemable, I finished it out of spite.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

rugbygirlreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Mass/school shootings

the_literarylinguist's review

dark reflective sad slow-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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Panic attacks/disorders

merrynld's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

When I was only 10% of the way through this, I messaged a friend to say "I think I'm currently reading the best book I've ever read" and, now I've finished it, I stand by that wholeheartedly. I can't even put in to words why. If you are feeling lost and / or angry in the world, read this book. It will change how you see your life and what you do with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Slavery