Reviews tagging 'Blood'

There There by Tommy Orange

85 reviews

withlivjones's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A beautifully written book with so much feeling, each character’s story is told so vividly and I loved how they were all interconnected, as well as how the story gradually built to a massive climax at the end. I’ve never read any Native American literature before and I’m really glad I picked this one up as it’s a really eye-opening read. I do wish I’d read it in print though rather than as an ebook as I would’ve benefitted from being able to flip back to the character index, since with so many narrators it was tricky to understand who’s who at first. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Racism, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide

imartine's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Alcohol, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Drug use, and Gore

karielizabeth's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

It was heavy.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Cursing, Death, Murder, Blood, Suicide, and Mass/school shootings

ruthypoo2's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Quite a powerful story about the life experiences of several Native American people living primarily in the Bay Area city of Oakland, California. There are multiple points of view from both men and women of different ages, from older youth to younger elders.

Each character in the book has a very powerful voice and the author, Tommy Orange, throughout the course of the storyline, exposes the common threads shared by the indigenous community and the almost predictable life struggles they will encounter. The book also dangles a carrot for the reader in knowing the story will eventually culminate in most of the main characters attending an upcoming powwow. The question is, how might they interact and what good outcomes can be expected?

I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience with this book. The author’s writing style is vivid and in my opinion, doesn’t have a lot of filler. The characters are relatable and I appreciated the history incorporated into the story. Most of the Native American authors and books I’ve read up to this point have been set on tribal land and take place within the tribal community only. While I’m aware of tribal communities and businesses in the desert areas of California, Arizona, and Nevada, my eyes are now opened to more urban centers like Oakland.

I listened to the audiobook and very much enjoyed the clear and crisp delivery of the ensemble of narrators that includes Darrell Dennis, Alma Cuervo, Kyla Garcia, and Shaun Taylor-Corbett. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Child death, Bullying, Abortion, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Blood

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Ableism, Body horror, Death, Cursing, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Racism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Genocide, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Grief, Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Car accident, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Suicide

Moderate: Abortion

dee_hzz'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death, Gore, Blood, Alcohol, Colonisation, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism

karwc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Gun violence, Death, Mass/school shootings, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Blood, Addiction, Drug use, and Alcoholism

wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death, Alcoholism, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual violence

kimschouwenaar's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring sad tense slow-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? No

4.0

Secrets lie through omission just like shame lies through secrecy.

This took me so long to actually get into. Started reading this for my world lit class last May, and kind of forgot about it until I saw it again in my currently reading list.

This book is written from multiple perspectives and in first-person, second-person and third-person narrative. I think the main problem I had when I started reading is the amount of characters; each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, and in the final 25 chapters — which are all very short — they all come together at the powwow.

But those final 25 chapters had me crying. Reading the book, you know what's coming, and yet you remain hopeful that there will be some kind of interference so the ending will change. It's absolutely heartbreaking. There There is not only a story about Native American history, but it's also a tale about surviving in a system that is built against you. Would definitely recommend to everyone, you just need to get through the first couple of chapters and familiarise yourself with all the characters. Hard to digest, but definitely worth your time.

We didn't have last names before they came. When they decided they needed to keep track of us, last names were given to us, just like the name Indian itself was given to us.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Animal death, and Gore

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Violence

felofhe's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Classism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Violence, Ableism, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Body shaming, War, Car accident, Child abuse, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship