Reviews tagging 'Murder'

There There by Tommy Orange

101 reviews

mekaylynn's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, and Abandonment

Minor: Genocide, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Pregnancy

ashylibrarian's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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? Yes

I finished the audiobook of There There by Tommy Orange yesterday. The stories are raw. They are real. They are emotional. 

Orange tells the story of twelve (12) characters who live intertwined lives with one another. They all  attend a powwow in Oakland, California, for different reasons, though their lives are not all to different from one another. 

I was immediately drawn in to the ties and knots that connected each character together. Orange crafted the lives of each character so individualistically but also so very interconnectedly. 

I won’t make any spoilers here, but the ending truly ripped a piece of me and left me frustrated, sad, upset, and confused. These stories may be fictional, but I can only assume there is  truth behind the words that Orange wrote, sharing Native voices and stories, expanding hidden truths, and exposing unseen traumas. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy

laurao's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Xenophobia and War

The characters were numb and isolated. It’s an important topic, but it was just hard to read.

kulera's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Abortion

allyofshalott's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

thatwhichmeowsalsohisses's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This book was raw and transformative. Before I read it, I was told that all the stories connect which was very helpful to know as I read and I could see the relationships between everyone. Despite being so disconnected from losing so many loved ones to alcoholism and murder, the characters were connected through their heritage and trauma. I highly recommend this book as it tells the stories and experiences that are left in the shadows and never addressed. It is extremely sad but honest, and will stick with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Rape

mommarex1221's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

😢

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

savvylit's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

There There is heartbreaking, vivid, and contains the most well-executed multiple points of view that I have ever read. Each individual character is fully-formed with their own voice and personal history. In the scope of the novel, they all experience the full spectrum of human emotion: dissociation, strength, desperation, fear, pride, violence, passion, shame, resistance, joy, love... All of these feelings are universal. However, the way that Orange has centered these feelings within multiple Urban Indian identities is wholly unique. - Unique not only to this book but unique to each character and their own distinct connections to their culture.

Though the strength of this novel is definitely in the characterization, the plot is also unforgettable. The events of this novel are emotional, tense, and dark. Be sure to check the content warnings before reading There There.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts

eve_o's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Excrement, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

ticianeaneane's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder