Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott

25 reviews

javafenn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

This book was tough and I almost didn’t any to finish it but I’m glad I stuck with it. The book is heavy and also incredibly confusing for a good portion of it but it’s all clarified with the final 1.5 hours of listening time. The final part really brought everything together and wove Alice’s glaringly obvious mental illness with her ability to traverse her people’s stories and legends. The book is heavy though. She clearly has postpartum psychosis which is finally mentioned towards the end but even as the reader you think maybe she doesn’t sometimes. It’s a book you need to be in a secure headspace for but it’s a good book. The ending was great and I’m ultimately glad I listened on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

khaben31's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Colonisation

toadfairy's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racism, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

charleshasalibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Colonisation

Moderate: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Grief

plasticpansy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Colonisation

kristenbynoe's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Drug use, Genocide, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Colonisation

kirstym25's review against another edition

dark emotional 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: Mental illness, Racism, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Genocide

_inge's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad

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

4.5

4.5 stars 

This book had me hooked from the start. Alice felt incredibly real, and I had no issue envisioning her life from the first pages. I love especially how her husband is seen to try his hardest but doesn’t quite get ‘it’, which made their communication issues understandable - even though this is usually something that can really put me off in a novel. The way Alice’s mental health develops felt very real too, I’m not surprised the author consulted women with similar experiences on this as it did come across as natural. Initially she’s quite funny and seems a bit conflicted, but gradually she spirals further and further. Some segments reminded me of Mona Awad’s writing. I love magical realism, horror, and unreliable narrators, so this was perfect for me. 

The only downside to me is that the last quarter didn’t feel very necessary. The story seems to wrap up at one point, and I didn’t really need more of the plot to feel satisfied with the ending. I wouldn’t have minded an ambiguous ending, given the story as a whole could be interpreted in different ways as well. It would’ve been clear enough to feel like a fitting end. Instead, the last quarter increases the magical elements and wants to highlight generational trauma more. I actually felt less satisfied with this additional context than I would’ve felt if the book ended about 50 pages earlier. 

If you’re into some of the topics I’ve mentioned here, you’re surely going to enjoy reading this book. I’d like to read more from Native authors after reading this as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, and Self harm

bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional 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: Addiction, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

minniepauline's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism