Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

14 reviews

inkdrinker2007's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

2.5

I loved The Book Thief and expected to enjoy I Am the Messenger just as much. I was really disappointed. It shouldn't be called a young adult book because some of the topics it talks about are too mature for  12-15 to fully understand. I would recommend reading it if you’re 16+

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Gun violence

smsegal's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Domestic abuse

Minor: Violence, Death of parent, and Alcoholism

icieri's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, and Stalking

caskraft's review

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Sexual content

mair_mcc's review

challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

I've read this before, but I guess it was before I was using Goodreads. 
Wtf was that ending, man? It didn't wrap anything up for me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

erinnuttle's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

i hated the first half + ending of the book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Torture, Physical abuse, and Rape

jcatzzz's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

ritugp01's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

A deeply thought provoking piece, Zusak's big picture moment doesn't quite come until the very end. It's a beautiful book

and for a moment, briefly, I wondered if I had delved into an inception-like universe.

It was at times funny, heartwarming, and incredibly devastating in how our daily lives also are filled with melancholia. Overall, a lovely book that reminded me how despite being extremely ordinary, I am by no means insignificant.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Rape, and Stalking

Minor: Pregnancy, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Dementia

amberacks12's review

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Rereading this for the first time, and I would say it mostly holds up to my original review. Hanging out in Ed’s hyper-sexualized brain was not pleasant. But when he wasn’t objectifying every woman/girl he met, this book really hits a spot. It scratches that itch of when you feel powerless in a world that is falling apart, maybe you can still make a difference to those closer to home.

And I would say that’s the true message of this book, and why his friends were the denouement.

Enjoyment: 3.5
Educational value: 3
Emotional impact 4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Minor: Violence, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, and Pregnancy

mikki_9's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-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

3.5

At first I did not really enjoy this book, but the writing’s great, and, against my will, I really started liking the characters. In the end, I loved this story and the characters.

The reason for 3.5 is because the author uses awful descriptors for people of colour, and the main character’s attraction to a friend is written really creep-ily at times. There’s also villainization of fatness a couple times and a weird sexualization/infantilization of most women/girls in this story. Also, at one point they misgender a man, calling him Mimi, saying he looks like a woman.

Maybe those things didn’t bring down my rating as much as they normally would’ve because  the character acknowledges his… lack? And because he experiences a lot of character development? Idk.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Fatphobia, Sexism, Sexual content, and Stalking

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Rape