Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

6 reviews

cassie7e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

Chilly and a fragile stillness like Fargo, but with more emotional development and  attachment to characters. Every chapter is a different character's POV, exploring the lives of so many people tangentially related to the backdrop of the missing girls. Some are just related by existing in the same town. This makes the world feel peopled and deeply real, not just about who matters to specific storyline but acknowledging all the storylines that exist concurrently and tangle up and affect each other. This book also closely intertwines peninsular culture and politics and sense of place, which I appreciated as someone who has not read much Russian literature (either author or setting).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Medical content, and Racism

Minor: Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Sexual content, and Homophobia

lottiegasp's review

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I found this novel quite slow and grim throughout. I was expecting more of a traditional whodunit with a bit more intrigue and action. Instead it begins with the disappearance of two girls and then is mainly a slice of life of various people in the community who are affected by the disappearance over the following year. Many of the characters were living in a rut, many in an unhappy relationship and mostly do nothing to change their lives by the end of the chapter which I found quite depressing. About 2 thirds through the book I was not really enjoying it, but I did think the last 2 chapters tied it together in a satisfying way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia

scifi_rat's review

reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Child abuse, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Ableism, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Death, and Infidelity

iellv's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

4.8

Gripping from start to finish if you love knowing other people’s business. No, but seriously this is absolutely worth the read. But note that not all the stories converge directly—there is no grand ending, but the payoff was still utterly devastating. At the beginning, the book feels like watching the ground shift beneath your feet like oil on still water. And as you go through the rest of the book it feels like drowning, and then you’re overcome completely by a brief crash. And then, silence. Helpppppp im never reading this again probably. I’m currently recovering from a stomach flu as I write this and I gotta tell you the last chapters rlly aggravated my tummy lmao.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Homophobia

adelal's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cancer and Pedophilia

georgia29's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• 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: Kidnapping

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Xenophobia