Reviews tagging 'Grief'

How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

57 reviews

acecln's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Self harm, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, and Eating disorder

purliespages's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

4.25

 

This was a slow-paced book. But I love it cause the author allows you to feel every emotion this being slow-paced is like you are slowly drowning in an ocean feeling all the emotions and having a lot of realization and regrets. A very heart-wrenching book talking about how we really don't know how our parents lived their lives and how we feel the grief of losing someone.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

jelenabts7's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Addiction, Cursing, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

anielabooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

This book was definitely a book about the grieving process. I suggest anyone considering reading this book to check  the trigger warnings beforehand. While I was not the target audience Glasgow wrote for, I did find this book very important; I think everyone should expose themselves to this type of writing at least once in their lives. In my experience reading “How to Make Friends With the Dark” I learned so much about the foster system, among other parts of the lives of orphaned teenagers. This book truly leaves you seeing people differently and wondering who around you could have a difficult life at home.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, Car accident, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Excrement, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Terminal illness, Abortion, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Child death, Cursing, and Eating disorder

ecravens's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Grief

rebecca_77's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Child abuse and Self harm

ruth22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying

soph1sh's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

aw man ☹️ that was so ☹️☹️ sad ugh but also slightly comforting in a way?? idk it’s weird. and i kind of loved it which sounds bad because it’s a book about death and grief but… i don’t know. it was really moving i guess? and like reflective. i think it’s one of those books that just opens your eyes to grief and how consuming it is. like, i know that if anyone here died i would be devastated and i don’t think i’d ever get over it. and i understand how annoying it must be when people tell you to be strong and that it’ll get better because how are you meant to believe that when that person is just. gone??? in terms of the actual book, i really liked the writing style, i literally couldn’t put the book down. it’s weird cause it’s not like there was a huge plot (not that that’s a criticism, it’s just a different kind of book), but i just kept on reading and reading.

i really love shayna ☹️ wasn’t sold at first but her and tiger are such a cute little family you know? i also really like mae-lynn, she seems cool. i’m glad her and tiger became friends. and i’m glad tiger moved away from mesa luna with shayna, i think it’s good that she got a clean break from everything that reminded her of her mum. omg and lala :(( i loved her tbh i think she was exactly what tiger needed because she was so lovely and gentle and kind. also thaddeus !!! love him <33 he was so lovely with tiger. i thought maybe they’d get together but actually i’m glad they’re just friends.

i just really think this was such an eye-opening book?? definitely worth the read. i’m interested to read her other books now,, i wasn’t sure about girl in pieces bc i thought i might not like it bc obviously self harm is very unpleasant but idk i feel like i could take it? maybe

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Minor: Abortion

there are more things but overall check the tws, there is obviously death but also other things like alcohol, grief, abuse, etc so just be careful

kalin_grace's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Vomit, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, and Grief

durrareadsstuff's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad fast-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

4.25

It would be nice if once, someone would just say, “Girl, you are in the shit and you will not be getting out soon. So here's how to make friends with the dark."

NEW FAVOURITE BOOK! 💯💖💖💖

Make sure to look at the content warnings first though, cause it gets pretty messed up. This book has a WHOLE LOT of childhood trauma in it too. 

First of all, the writing is STUNNING 💫 I think Kathleen Glasgow is on her way to becoming my favourite author. She just hits all the right spots for me. All the metaphors being repeated throughout the book e.g. girl-bug, the grand canyon sized hole, being sucked into a black hole. The way she writes all these devastating scenes makes it all the more sad. Truly, truly amazing. 

Now, I'm gonna be honest with you, I wasn't really a fan of Tiger in the beginning. But her character growth was so incredible. And just seeing how she went from goody-two-shoes to going to juvie to picking herself back up again—that was just WOW. Tiger really went through A LOT and that moment at the end when she sort of regained hope? My heart is a puddle bye 😭💓

I also liked that there was barely any romance in here, cause really, that was not the point. Instead, we get to see a whole lot of friendships. Like how Tiger's and Cakes's grew deeper. And how she found new unexpected friends like Lupe and Mae-Lynn. And the SISTERHOOD?? JUST WOW. I think the author has a knack of turning the characters I hate to making me think twice about them and teach me to not be so judgmental. Shayna turned out to be a pretty cool sister. And she's trying her best. 

I liked how the book tells you about horrible adults and parents but also the adults who care and are trying their best to help them. Most of all and kind of obviously, it teaches you a lot about grief. How you never really move on, you never really patch up that hole in your heart. You just find a way to keep living like that. 

My review with my very limited vocabulary and above average writing skills will never do this book justice. I think it was, well, not perfect because I'm kind of unsatisfied with how we left things with Kai, but yeah it was very very nearly perfect ✨💫💥♥️♥️♥️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Toxic relationship