Reviews tagging 'Death'

What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah

6 reviews

kananineko's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Death, Grief, Blood, Classism, Violence, Abandonment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Suicide attempt, War, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Gun violence

ka_cam's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

Once I started reading this short story collection it was hard to stop! Quite varied in types but themes of connection, family, diaspora, and women’s relationships/desires (incl some casual queerness love 2 see it). Some of the stories read more like teasers or brainstorms for a longer story/novel, rather than complete short stories. All in all really enjoyed and am excited to read more by this author! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Gun violence, Colonisation, Murder, Racism, War, Body horror, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Misogyny

Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Body shaming, Car accident, and Blood

moonlitemuseum's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

The platter of misery served up by Lesley Nneka Arimah is so potent and rich that I could barely stomach it. It took me two tries to get through this anthology of short stories in full, but what a range! So many left me feeling haunted, empty, gnawing, but thoroughly sustained in spite of that.

I originally heard the titular "What It Means When A Man Falls from the Sky" on Levar Burton's podcast and it shook me to the core. A world where math=empathy, where our current climate troubles turn global politics inside-out, where grief is empirically indigestible—i loved everything about the anxious world she wove in this story. It hits like a bullet every time.

Most of the stories take a grain of sadness in the lives of women and inspect it under a microscope. How do they fail themselves? How are they failed by the societies around them? How do they continue on? I often dreaded the pause that signaled the end of the story, knowing its characters would be left there, suspended in their grief. It's incredibly effective work. I can't wait to read more from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Death, Sexism, Grief, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Abandonment, Violence, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child death, Body shaming, Blood, and Bullying

aeterna's review

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

A lot of the stories had very unique and interesting premises. Arimah's writing style can be very impactful. At times the stories and characters are so vague to the point where it was distracting and confusing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, and Violence

davisbb's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, War, Gore, Suicide, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Death, and Child death

franklybookish's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt