Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

24 reviews

culpeppper's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad

• 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

3.75

I already wrote out a review and it didn't save, so I'm gonna do a bullet point style thing here:

• The metaphors were immense, sometimes clever and sometimes a little too on the nose, but largely the use of weaving those metaphors into the story was done well and enhanced the reading experience. As an example, the descriptions in the underwater mimic the setting, relying on feelings and ideas to form the world before Yetu goes to the surface where descriptions change to more solid things rather than concepts. 
• The story has multiple perspectives. Though I do feel it worked thematically to have these other perspectives, and the stories they told enhanced our perspective, but it was always jarring and confusing in a way that took me a bit out of the story sometimes. 
• It's a work of creative wonder, filled with countless concepts, and it's inspired me to read more of Solomon's work so I can have a longer experience that I think will suit their style of writing better. 

Overall, there were some things it lacked that could have built out the world a bit more, and the pacing felt weird and off at times, I think that's partially the form and maybe some stylistic elements I don't fully understand. But I liked the experience of this world, of this look into our world, and the use of history and remembering as critical to it. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Genocide, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Grief, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Xenophobia, Colonisation, Animal death, and Confinement

Minor: War, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury

meshuganush's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

This book is one that I will be contemplating for a long time. The way it was written really allowed us to feel Yetu's constant pain and confusion as she tries to hold onto the history while still maintaining her own identity. This was a truly remarkable mythology based on the generational trauma of the middle passage.  I didn't love the characters but I think that makes sense since Yetu's character was fairly subsumed by her role of holding the history.

I really loved the solution that they came up with and how her pain was lifted by being able to spread it out and share it with her people and by doing so she was also now able to see the beauty of the history and not just the pain.

I really recommend reading The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty, it is a spectacular nonfiction book where the author takes us through his journey to uncover the roots of southern cuisine as well as his roots as an African American whos ancestors were enslaved in the united states. It lends some beautiful context to the themes of homeland and ancestral history. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: War

charrlee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

"'What is belonging?' we ask.
She says, 'Where loneliness ends.'" (Solomon 49)

"How disorienting it is to go most of your life wondering about a thing, only to happen upon the answer, and it is a horror." (Solomon 57).

River Solomon's novella is profoundly atmospheric. I've never connected to a work so deeply and I will continue to be spellbound by Solomon's beautifully tragic narrative. Listen to "The Deep" by clipping. to see the inspiration and building of the mythos. I am thrilled for my future reread. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Genocide, Murder, Child death, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

building_a_bookdom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Grief, Mental illness, Slavery, Blood, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, and Abandonment

Moderate: Pregnancy, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Child death, Murder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Body horror, Colonisation, and Death of parent

marsh_mall0w's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Genocide, Death of parent, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Gore, Self harm, Murder, Animal death, and Suicide

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Eating disorder

nojerama's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Loved this so much, it was a re-read for me and I definitely appreciated it more the second time around. Heartbreaking yet somehow comforting in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Colonisation, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Death of parent, Deportation, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Gore, Murder, Racism, Violence, and War

triley's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Death, Grief, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking

ehmannky's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

I have a hard time books that are one long metaphor for a thing, but this was a really lovely atmospheric read with a very interesting use of mermaid lore. I like the craft that went into this book, the tone, the lore, and the overall message of trauma needing to be shared as a burden and discussed openly so it doesn't cause more harm.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Slavery

Moderate: Child death

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

The audiobook is a fantastic version of the story. I would argue it is the best way to experience the story.  You will find yourself rooting for the main character throughout all the trials and periods of growth. The beauty and pain of remembering beginnings, endings, tragedies, and love are intertwined as surely as the water around their people. Remembering is painful and a lot to shoulder alone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

noahsingh's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Minor: Pregnancy