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san_dra's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Self harm, Grief, Cancer, Mental illness, and Death
bethanwx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is such a beautifully written book, but the narrative feels a bit meandering for me. Baltasar hasn't yet mastered tying her poetic language and significant themes into a clear narrative. I much prefered Boulder.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Death
Moderate: Transphobia
courtenaywrites's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Baltasar is first and foremost a poet. That much is obvious by the lyrical nature of 'Permafrost'. I have adored everything Baltasar has written, and I am looking forward to her upcoming novel.
Graphic: Self harm, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
permafrost is a book abt death, sex and the drudgery of everyday life, told thru the pov of a lesbian narrator drifting from one place to another, from the arms of a lover to the next. the narrative voice is darkly dry, occasionally funny and bemusingly relatable. as a story, however, it's too stagnant for my taste: multiple chapters and events are so similar that they blur into each other, w/ the story simply droning on and on w/o reprieve, and eventually taking me a week to finish despite being a very slim volume.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Medical content, and Death
Minor: Lesbophobia
emisharples's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
very_mellifluous's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is a book that I somewhat disliked on first read because it deals with subjects that I am sensitive to: suicide, depression, and the mother wound. However, Permafrost also feels like a book that I will return to, and grow to like more and more as I digest and reflect upon it. I did not relate to the narrator's motives or ways of thinking, and while this was sometimes unsettling and jarring to read, it was also intriguing to 'experience.'
For readers considering Permafrost: the summary on the book jacket is basically irrelevant and mostly useless. Read if you're interested in a character study, love sturdy sentences, and enjoy a non-chronological progression with a killer ending (not a spoiler!).
For readers considering Permafrost: the summary on the book jacket is basically irrelevant and mostly useless. Read if you're interested in a character study, love sturdy sentences, and enjoy a non-chronological progression with a killer ending (not a spoiler!).
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
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