Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

5 reviews

hazeln00t's review

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

This book rules and I can’t wait to re-read it. Throughout the book there’s passing observations that feel inconsequential and human, but no remark or reflection is accidental. Jemisin is a fantastic world builder and the ending snowballed so fast to a jaw dropping tease for the next book. All of her characters are also deeply emotionally intelligent. That’s not exactly realistic maybe for people in real life, but it makes for damn good fiction. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Vomit, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Violence, Sexual content, Racism, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

Moderate: Ableism and War

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Body horror, and Deadnaming

While races are fictional, race and bigotry are prominent themes.

bezarue's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

Feels weird to give 5 stars to a book that if I had to describe the feeling it gave me in one word it would be 'unsettled'. This book is so creepy and so unlike anything I've read before. I enjoyed all the plot twists

I guessed that Damaya and Syen were the same person but I wasn't sure about Essun and I definitely didn't guess about Tonkee.

I'm kind of obsessed with Alabaster I think? In an Andrew Minyard kind of way. This was DARK and I feel vaguely sort of watched, now that I've finished it. We love a morally grey cast of characters. It was also at times horrifically sad but always in a way that leaned more on the horror than the sadness. I just want Essun to find Nassun. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, and Child death

Moderate: Bullying and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, and Racism

stierwood's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

Some things: 

I didn’tunderstand the use of the 2nd person until about 2/3rds thru the book, and then thought it was rlly clever. 

Characters were complex and loveable. 

I have a history degree. That this book focuses on history, how it is told, and who writes it was so good to read and exceptionally well-done. The lore was sooo fleshed out.

A hard one to read in a slump. The world building was complex so thank gd for the appendix. 

Dark, but never unnecessarily so. 

Except every modern dystopian piece of media i have consumed recently has had cannibalism in it and my tummy hurts. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Slavery, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Racism, Sexual content, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Gore, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, War, Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Sexual harassment

bandysbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Stalking, Terminal illness, Torture, War, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Rape

sunsetcity's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious tense slow-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Classism, Torture, Gaslighting, and Sexism