Reviews tagging 'Violence'

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

74 reviews

juliatsang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Grief, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment and Adult/minor relationship

aposthuma's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

This book left me with a LOT of thoughts. I think I'm rating it 3.5 stars. I didn't care much about Ruth's POV and thought it was pretty slow, but Nao's parts were incredibly thought-provoking, bringing up themes like time, mortality, and permanence. Fair warning, this book is DARK. Far darker than i went in expecting

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

kygpub's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

i often struggle to appreciate objectively good writing, because 'good' writing often means opaque writing, and bridging the gap between words and meaning often feels like wading through mud. beautiful mud. but still mud.

this book is not like that. this is the kind of book that makes you wonder how people can even write like this. the style is really the peak of magical realism, both unbelievably creative and easily digestible prose. a lot of effort clearly went into researching and crafting it, and yet the end result feels effortlessly readable*. the characters are so well-articulated and real, which makes the magical, fairytale moments feel perfectly natural. everything feels so tangible and alive**, even in the midst of death.

*this book discusses philosophy, buddhism and QUANTUM PHYSICS. it switches between THREE LANGUAGES. so much shit happens in this book and yet i have a better memory of what happens than some of the <200 page books i've read recently.
**well, at least two of the characters are literally alive, i suppose

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Rape and Death

mlmwtp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad medium-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Bullying

aleksssync's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

This book sucks you in. Nao's story is so heartbreaking -- she tells her story to Ruth so unabashedly, which had me quickly adoring her and laughing out loud to some of her commentary. I think the ending of the book was a little SciFi for me but I loved it. Ruth's background and setting were captivating and I also enjoyed reading her parts of the book. Would definitely recommend.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: War

Minor: Rape

recorderkfk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Stretch book/ growth edge book for me - but a different mode of storytelling - 2 narratives 1) first person Japanese teenager who grew up in California. 2) third person limited omnipresent narrator of Ruth an author who lives with her husband on an island off of Washington. 

The book grows on you the more you read of it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Violence, War, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Suicide, Xenophobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Self harm, Stalking, Death of parent, Grief, and Miscarriage

taylor1997's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

katrinadalythompson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Bullying

Moderate: Suicide attempt

audreytallulah's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Death, Animal cruelty, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

Minor: Suicide, Sexism, Miscarriage, Fatphobia, Dementia, Body horror, and Animal cruelty

roseblossom999's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Death, Body shaming, Body horror, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Rape, Mental illness, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Violence