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fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
sad
- 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
4.0
This really is a book of sorrows. Gives us a view of depression and determination and grief and resilience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Suicide, Grief, Self harm, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death
mynameisvesper's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
4.5
All my puny sorrows broke my heart. But also made me laugh and thinking about the essence of living… The story of two sisters: one desperately trying to end her life and the other equally desperately seeking to save it, is a hard story to tell. It is tragic. And yes, Toews manages to express the raw feelings surrounding and flowing through everyone involved, and still she does not let us sink in despair. Plenty of black humour and irony, the way that the narrator just jumps between her thoughts and memories, the comfort and sadness the characters find in music and literature, there is so much to take from this book.
This all just felt honest, it hurt, it truly resonated with me- these little conversations we all had with family members in face of hardships, the impossible questions one asks themselves when a loved one keeps spiralling down, the frustration and fear when they are sick in the hospital, the way that grief comes and goes and how hard it is to move on (the passage about ‘shredding the guilt’ really struck me).
Toews serves beautiful prose, so authentic and sincere it almost feels like eavesdropping.
“Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard”
This all just felt honest, it hurt, it truly resonated with me- these little conversations we all had with family members in face of hardships, the impossible questions one asks themselves when a loved one keeps spiralling down, the frustration and fear when they are sick in the hospital, the way that grief comes and goes and how hard it is to move on (the passage about ‘shredding the guilt’ really struck me).
Toews serves beautiful prose, so authentic and sincere it almost feels like eavesdropping.
“Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Self harm
Moderate: Medical content, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Death
vanesst's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Sexual content
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