Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

7 reviews

meliemelo's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

 Crime novels aren't known for their boundless optimism, but this one seemed especially bleak. While crafting very nuanced characters, Paula Hawkins did not care for making them likeable with the exception of Irene and, to a point, Laura. The "One who got away" chapters were an interesting enough idea but ended up being a bit repetitive and didn't bring much to the book in the end (and the end of that particular thread had me roll my eyes). Finally, I felt the book lacked tension and purpose beyond the "whodunnit", and even that didn't keep my interest up much.

It's not a bad crime novel, and there were definitely some very good ideas in there, but it definitely doesn't compare to the author's previous works. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child death, Car accident, Death, Dementia, Violence, Alcoholism, Incest, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Body shaming, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual assault, Cursing, Infidelity, Rape, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death of parent

ekmoore11's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

oviiione's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Definitivamente es a fuego lento, tan lento que no avanza la historia hasta el final del libro y te cierran la trama de golpe y porrazo.

Por otro lado cambian tanto de personaje que me acabo liando y ya no se quién es quién.

Al final te abren una nueva incógnita que cierran 3 páginas después pero dejan muy en el aire que ha pasado.

Sinceramente, lo cogí con pocas ganas porque La Chica del Tren me pareció un truño y este es más de lo mismo. Además, me habría gustado saber con antelación que se tratan temas de

suicidio y autolesiones

para ir preparado.

Puedes escuchar la reseña en mi pódcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BJrUirMylsjyKxehvy4y2?si=903423a8e21d4541

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm

Minor: Suicide attempt

inespires's review

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Incest, Murder, Rape, and Suicide attempt

haxannah's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Car accident

Minor: Incest, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape

what_heather_loves's review

dark reflective slow-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

5.0

"It was true that when Irene opened up some of the more ancient Penguins, their bright orange covers tattered and worn, the pages began to crumble beneath her fingertips. Succumbing already to slow fire, the acidification of the paper eating way at the pages, making them brittle and breakable, destroying them from within. It was terribly sad, when you thought about it, all those words, all those stories slowly disappearing."

In present day Islington and Hoxton, London, three damaged women's lives are inextricably and tragically linked. Young, poverty-stricken Laura has suffered physical and mental trauma, and struggles to fit in; middle-aged wealthy Carla, having lost her toddler son, Ben, to a tragic accident fifteen years ago, has never recovered; older, eccentric Miriam experienced a horrific tragedy as a teenager and longs to redress the balance of power; and elderly Irene is mourning the loss of beloved husband William and best friend and neighbour Angela (Carla's sister). Following the brutal murder of Daniel, Carla's nephew on a houseboat next door to Miriam, the night after Laura (who gets shopping in for Irene) stayed over, all four women are drawn in, in different ways. Any one of them could have killed Daniel, but who did, or was it someone else?

The plot is interspersed with sections from a fictional immensely popular crime novel (as book within a book)written by struggling author Theo, Carla's ex-husband, but allegedly plagiarised from Miriam's memoirs. Through the four women we understand the experiences of those with power and those who are powerless, seeing them trying to change the balance of power. They are real, relatable, female characters, with intertwined lives, all damaged and all linked by past wrongs and past deaths.

Expertly plotted (I would expect no less from this experienced author), with excellent characters, this is a very readable, dark novel about tragedies, trauma and power. Highly recommended.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Child death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Abandonment, and Grief

Minor: Suicide attempt

gillimiller's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, Suicide attempt, Child death, and Death