Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

11 reviews

counciloffrogs's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

Sometimes I struggle with giving books 2 stars and qualifying what a 2 star book really is, but this is the epitome of one. Why should I care about the Dunbar boys? I don’t know but I kind of do? Only enough to not put the book down and DNF it, but certainly I think if I didn’t relate to how broken and yet relenting they are I would have. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Cancer

Minor: Murder, Alcohol, and Antisemitism

ehunsy's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

If you are looking for a book like The Book Thief, you may not like this one as much. it's beautiful in a completely different , yet still poetical way. The timeline jumps around quite a bit, which may be confusing but creates the feeling that this is truly being told as the narrator reflects on different events throughout life

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

corvicore's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

The boomerang storytelling got a little infuriating at times but overall it slaps

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Death of parent, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Cursing, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Terminal illness

thebookishvirgo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Abandonment

averagemark's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

I picked up this book because I liked the works of Marcus Zusak in the past, and I was not disappointed by this. The story follows 5 boys living on their own, the killer and the memory of their mother. 

If you’re a fan of action packed fantasy, then this book is not for you. It has a slower pace and deals with everyday problems of a broken family. Like in real life, there isn’t a definite end to the story, but at the end of the book, you feel like you’re part of this big family. You’ve lived through their tragedies, you’ve coped with them, and you’ve grown, and in my opinion that’s the best part of this all. 

Some might also find the book challenging because of the way it is written: one chapter takes place in the past, and one in the future. Although, with such writing, it would normally be harder to keep up with the story, The Bridge of Clay avoided that fate. Coming back to the past a lot makes sense for a grieving family, and as readers it’s interesting to put a story together piece by piece.

The characters all have a distinct personality, influenced by their past. For me, one of the worst things an author can do, is provide the readers with questions, and not answer all of them by the end, here it is thankfully not the case. All the mysteries laid out before us in the beginning of the book, eventually make sense. 

If I had to sum my review up, this is not a very action packed book, at first, you’ll need to to get into reading it, but by the end, the characters, the journey you took with them, will make all of the inconveniences worth it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Chronic illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, and Grief

readwithchar's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence

naffyyreads's review against another edition

emotional funny sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

bebidocrimes's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

As much as I love Zusak, this book just wouldn't end. The main plot was confusing and the B plot was out of order and dragged on about details that didn't matter. Maybe it's a good read to someone else, but it wore me down to finish.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

manarnia's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

I think I might have liked this book more if I had read a physical version. Not that the audiobook was poorly narrated, I just think I would have enjoyed seeing the writing written down. 

I fell in love with the Dunbar boys, but certain parts of the story didn't sit right with me, and I didn't love the order in which the story was told. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, and Violence

lonelytourist's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness and Grief