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moserk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
- immigrants/immigration
- LGBTQIA identities and their acceptance/lack thereof
- familial roles
- medical/healthcare ethics,
The pace felt rushed - just 50 more pages to shed more light, please! And some pieces really lacked clarity - although, maybe some of this is due to the focus on character/topic diversity, which again, I much appreciated. I (literally) felt like this story was all over the place - couldn't keep our location sequence sorted.
Worth noting: I had both a physical and audio copy of this and understood better during my physical chapters. At first I thought the detail disconnect was a symptom of my audio portions, but a quick peek at other reviews tells me that I'm not alone here.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Grief, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and Homophobia
hobbithopeful's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Marisol has little choice to do otherwise when she agrees to be a part of an experiment in exchange for safety for her and her sister. As the experiment progresses the burden of pain soon becomes overbearing, but she can't help but grow closer and closer to Rey, even though when she touches her the pain is all consuming.
A very real look at how immigrants are treated, this book was heartfelt, real, and full of grief. I do wish it was a bit longer, I still had so many questions, or maybe I just wasn't ready to leave these characters yet. I was afraid this was going to be a very heavy read, and while it does have pockets of sadness, it was nothing too difficult or graphic for me to get through.
It's very easy to forget the privilege we have for being in America, as bad as events and people here can be, there are countless others who works themselves to the bone and risk everything to come here.
I highly recommend this book.
Graphic: Grief, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence
Minor: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
vampire_burrito's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Suicide attempt, and Xenophobia
browdya's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Pedophilia, Homophobia, Rape, Lesbophobia, Gun violence, and Mental illness
snowydaze's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Murder, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Cursing, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Medical content, and Hate crime
mckeelyshannon's review against another edition
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault
george_d_keaton's review
- 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
4.25
It was a difficult read for me. I suffer from PTSD from my time in the Marines, and the novel paints some realistic pictures of fictional tragedies. The book also describes the unending waves of crushing emotions one feels when going through intense heartache. Therapy and time are the traditional healers, but the government experiment on immigrants was both hopeful and toxic. Marisol is 17 and doesn't fully know what she is signing her life away for, which is similar to too many Marines I knew, but it does promise a better life for the subject of the experiment.
Over the course of the story, Marisol takes part of the experiment, but falls in love with the other participant, Rey. She also comes to terms with her past life in El Salvador. While the ending falls a little flat, it does provide hope for a better future for Marisol and her sister here in America. At times sweet and other times gut-wrenching, The Grief Keeper is a unique story of a young immigrant not only coming-of-age but triumphing over her past.
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Grief, and Self harm
ziareads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Pedophilia and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide attempt
kathsaph's review
- 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
4.75
This novel was personally difficult to read, but completely relevant and impactful. So many details were packed into 300 pages, all contributing to amazing character development and storytelling. The book is in the first person and often includes Spanish, I ended up looking up the words as I went along, and I recommend doing the same, it added another layer of depth. My response to "The Grief Keeper" was visceral, and although not all of the technology in the book exists, the societal views that would allow the experiment to happen do, making the book terrifying. Please check triggers before reading.
Graphic: Classism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical content, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Outing, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Torture, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Blood, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
spcandybars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, and Mental illness