Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Odder Still by D.N. Bryn

4 reviews

discarded_dust_jacket's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

This was such a unique story concept and world; I was pleasantly surprised by that. A steampunk underwater city occupied by selkies? So cool! The disability representation as well as trans and non-binary representation was really great as well. 

The reason it didn’t get a higher rating from me was more a matter of personal preference. Sometimes I struggle to push through fantasy in first person POV when it spends a large chunk of the narrative waxing philosophical inside the protagonist’s head. That’s just a me thing though. I would for sure recommend this to anyone who enjoys queer sci-fi/fantasy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

krisalexcole's review

adventurous emotional 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Chronic illness, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Minor: Homophobia

Dismemberment

tinyelfarcanist's review

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Rubem is running away from people who invaded his home in search of energy-producing parasites. But everyone he meets is more interested in taking advantage of the parasite attached to him than his well-being. 

Maraheem is an underwater steampunk city populated by freckled ginger selkies. The class disparity is evident, and Rubem readily empathizes with the lower city's hardships. He finds an unlikely ally in Tavish, who uses his wealth to help the underprivileged. 

Bryn built a queernormative and diverse world. Rubem is dark-skinned and gay, never fitting in any place and silencing his grief with alcohol. Tavish is an altruistic selkie princeling who happens to be plump, blind, and trans. From the moment they meet, their interactions are filled with bangxiety.  

The alliance between these two men from different standings while fighting for their lives drives them to question the future they want. 

An environmentalist tale of loneliness, connection, and love. Get it if you are looking for mental health and queer representation. There's a beautiful poem at the beginning of each chapter.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Sexual content, Body horror, Colonisation, Violence, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Death of parent, Torture, and Bullying

lennie_reads's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

4.75

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review.

'I chose you because I know the way you feel inside, how you can get lost in that empty, echoing space within your own head. I chose you because I saw my sorrow in you, and that made me feel less alone.'

Rubem, a lonely depressed alcoholic, unwittingly acquires a parasitic entity which turns his life upside down.

We follow Rubem as he meets Tavish, a blind trans selkie, who is part of one of the 7 ruling families of an underwater steampunk city, Maraheem. 

The two embark on a mission to remove the parasite from Rubem, but instead stumble upon the darker underbelly of the fuel industry along with civil unrest of the lower city and a brewing uprising. 

I ADORE Rubem. He needs to be protected at All Costs. My soft lil baby. Obviously I absolutely love Tavish as well but Rubem just pulls on my heart strings 😭

This book has mlm romance, an underwater steampunk city, selkies, magic, dichotomy of upper and lower classes, depression rep, blindness rep, trans rep, gay rep, pan rep, nonbinary rep, murder mystery, mobility aids, allies to friends to lovers and lets not forget a very sassy parasite.  

There's soo much to love about this book but apart from the characters some of my favourite aspects were that Rubem will always use they/them pronouns for someone he's just met until told otherwise. And also that, although this world has its problems and prejudices, transphobia and homophobia are not among them. 

If any of these things appeal to you I definitely recommend picking this book up! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Mental illness