Reviews tagging 'Death'

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

291 reviews

erika102's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief

arlaubscher's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Dementia, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Classism

nere's review against another edition

really compelling. but it centers a pandemic and i’m really not in the headspace to read something like this right now 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Terminal illness

angievansprang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

The writing in this was absolutely beautiful. Nagamatsu has a way of creating an extremely atmospheric setting while discussing profoundly sad ideas, yet still rounding out every chapter with a sense of hope among utter bleakness. The only reason this didn’t get a 5 star from me is because I’m not so much into the technology/space sides of sci-fi and I feel like several chapters incorporated those aspects. Would recommend if this sounds like it’s up your alley!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Terminal illness

pumpkinbaby's review against another edition

inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

sophiesometimesreads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this and loved how the timeline developed through multiple different POVs spanning many years to tell the story of the Arctic plague and pandemic.

I did want a little bit more of the sci-fi elements, though. I felt by the end that I'd had enough glimpses into people and their loss and wanted more on the initial spreading of the plague from chapter one, the intergalactic exploration, or even more from that last chapter.

I also felt that there may have been too many characters and points of view, I'd have loved to revisit some or just spend more time on those chapters.

In saying this, it was still a wonderful exploration of human nature in the face of a disaster, largely showing instances of loss, love, and grief. I also think I might reread this sometime, given that I went in withoit reading the blurb and didn't expect the format, and so I felt like I didn't get everything out of this book that I could've.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Suicide and Terminal illness

Minor: Pregnancy

victoriafrombookclub's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

I immediately want to reread this book. Namagatsu skillfully creates a deep and complex near-world future with a virus leaking from an ancient burial beneath the melting Siberian ice. Each chapter brings you close to the grief and hope of characters dealing with the pandemic in the immediate aftermath and decades and generations after. A truly epic spec fic novel that points to the cosmos just as much to the human heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Suicide, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy

augie_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

lpdx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Colonisation

ashleygude's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Fantastic book. Very emotional. Read twice, the second read through is totally worth it to further connect all the dots. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic