Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

123 reviews

sby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia

golelifsu's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Homophobia, Antisemitism, War, Gore, Death, and Blood

nadijya's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Alcohol, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Gun violence, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, War, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Xenophobia

brisgris's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I read through this book in one day and absolutley, thoroughly enjoyed whilst I was reading it; it was very emotional and the characters were well-written and rounded.  However, once I finished the book, I had a few critiques.  Ellwood is described as 'poetic and dreamy' and has been in love with Gaunt forever, but

Gaunt says 'I love you' twice and Ellwood never says it

.  Also, Gaunt's mannerisms were more similar to those of an older man instead of an 18 year old boy.  Although I understand that this was done to show how the war aged him, I still felt as though he began acting like that too early on in the novel for it to feel realistic.  Overall, this was a very good, emotionally poignant read, full of interesting plot points that also felt historically accurate, but the way the characters were described in the first few chapters compared to their later behaviours did not feel like a progression that made sense.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia

It is set during the First World War and the premise of the book is the romantic relationship between two boys - behaviours and attitudes about this are therefore era appropriate.

reflectiverambling_nalana's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

A poignant and gritty historical fiction that does not shy away from the physical and emotional brutality of WWI. While marketed primarily on the lives of two friends turned lovers and the environment of the time for those attracted to the same gender, it should not be understated how much this book dedicates to friendships, bonds, as are and the assumptions of. While not as prominent it also addresses classism and has a beautiful not to how many gray areas existed 'behind enemy lines' in that even in the darkest places there were examples of compassion and a recognition of humanity no matter what language was spoken or what uniform was worn. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Mental illness, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Violence, Death, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Homophobia, Bullying, Vomit, and Classism

breanneporter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This is stunning. I generally stay away from anything to do with war, and I only picked this up due to a glowing review by a bookseller I trust, not really believing I would be able to finish it, but boy did it hook me and engage me and devastate me and teach me until the very end… I’m so so glad I gave it a shot. In Memoriam follows two high school best friends, Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood, attending a wealthy public school in England when WW1 breaks out in 1914. Both boys are  secretly in love with the other, but believe it’s unrequited. They each end up at the front of the war and confront the horrifying realities of trench warfare, losing friends and parts of themselves along the way. 

This novel is not for the faint of heart: it is heart wrenching and painful and describes in visceral detail the terrible gore and tragedy of war, as well as the  long term effects, both physical and mental, on those who manage to survive. I listened on audio, which was excellent, but at times very difficult to picture. 

As many other reviewers note, however, there is levity and humor and romance interspersed in the horror. There are triumphs, big and small, and there are beautiful depictions of acceptance and found family. One of my favorite parts of the novel was

the friendship between Gaunt, Pritchett and Devi, the latter two of which demonstrate unflinching devotion and acceptance of Gaunt, despite how criminalized and stigmatized homosexuality was at the time.

Throughout the novel I kept googling WWI history based on Winn’s writing, and I feel like I re-learned so much from this novel that I’d long forgotten, and I’m so grateful for that. I would highly recommend to all historical fiction and LGBTQ fiction fans (even if you’re war-wary like me)!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Grief, War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, and Homophobia

raisinreads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

a life more devastating than death

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Death, War, Violence, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Gore, and Grief

kiwij96's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

A harrowing loce story between two young public school boys who find themselves serving their country in World War 1.

The characters were all privileged brats in the best possible way. You can imagine these boys existing and having these conversations, they're so realistic. The history was well-researched and beautifully written - the horror and the brutality of war. The romance was appropriately written for two teenage boys navigating a world where their love is forbidden, it was also age-appropriately awkward as most teenage love is.

This book broke me in more ways than one. By halfway my heart had broken maybe 5 or 6 times, and by the end I was just broken and sobbing.

Great pace, characters, history and plot. Would highly recommend.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Grief, Homophobia, War, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Classism and Suicide

Minor: Sexual content and Antisemitism

akbbailey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Slow in the start, but I gained interest in the characters as book progressed

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, and War

Moderate: Homophobia and Pandemic/Epidemic

itsdanewrightt's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

5.0

This was such a hard book to read due to current events. That being said, I found the story of Gaunt and Ellwood lovely. The war was horrific and dreadful but I loved the two main character’s hope of seeing each other again after being separated. It was also a good insight into homosexuality in the past, and is great at showing that we have always existed 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Mental illness, Homophobia, Death, and Genocide