Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Night Parade: A Speculative Memoir by Jami Nakamura Lin

13 reviews

chris_reads's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

The writing style, the illustrations, the philosophical musings on mental health, cultural preservation, and the transient nature of memory being expressed through metaphors of folklore were breathtaking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Ableism, Racism, Self harm, Infertility, and Medical content

clarelou612's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This book is beautifully and creatively written and includes amazing illustrations! It is a memoir focusing on the author’s mental health and the death of her father (not a spoiler - the reader knows this from the start). There were so many parts that blew my mind because they gave me new ways to describe and understand my own mental health. I loved the way she wove in folk tales from her Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawa ancestry as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Mental illness

Moderate: Miscarriage

megwilli's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Suicide attempt

mmccombs's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I loved the innovative blend of memoir, storytelling, and folktales! The writing here was good, but further elevated by great artwork and an interesting structure. I did find it a bit long and repetitive, but on the whole this was incredibly strong. It covers some heavy topics but in a very personal way that renders it moving. I enjoyed it and would recommend for people who like non traditional memoirs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Moderate: Racism and Colonisation

honuzbubbles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

moraina's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

Using written and illustrated Japanese folklore, Jami and Cori Nakamura Lin draw parallels to mental illness and grief. I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of both her own and her father’s illness, where she was able to show her uncertainty and fear of the future. She also includes many family stories, through which she archives the family history and defines her cultural identity. Although I am from a completely different familial background, I related to much of Jami’s worries as a young girl and her desire to learn more about family members that did not reveal much from their own lives.

The uncertainty that the author encountered means that the story sometimes meanders through different points in time, and I found it difficult to keep track of the story and stay engaged with the material at some parts of the book. The numerous references to yōkai scholars and encyclopedias that I am unfamiliar with also contributed to this. I would still recommend it if the concept is your cup of tea, as the writing and illustrations will stick with you; it just took me a bit longer to read than normal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Drug abuse, Self harm, Miscarriage, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Colonisation, and Death of parent

arood's review

dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, and Cancer

hmetwade's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Cancer, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, and Forced institutionalization

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Addiction, Death of parent, Death, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness

rarasreads's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

I was excited to read this memoir since it has been compared to the likes of Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House. Here, Lin shares her emotional journey through her mental illness diagnosis, pregnancy, and largely, the death of her father. I appreciated her vulnerability and the stories she captured on all the different yokai with their accompanying illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Yet, I found many of the parallels that Lin attempts to draw between her experiences, particularly her grieving process and the folklore very fragmented. Each time I read a piece of her personal narrative, the story would abruptly transition to a specific myth, disconnecting and disrupting the flow.

Overall, this book read more like a personal stream of consciousness that lacked chronological order. I, personally, do not find such writing style engaging or enjoyable but I recognize that this reflects the true inner workings of the author's mind. Others may still find it to their liking as some parts were certainly informative!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Cancer