Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

The Overstory by Richard Powers

4 reviews

nhelregel's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

Such a wide, sweeping novel about people, trees, and the interactions between the two. I've been waiting on the e-audiobook to be available through libraries for *years* and it did not disappoint. Super long, but it never dragged and each of the characters fit into the narrative well. I'll definitely be ruminating on it for a while. Overall: very interesting, thought-provoking, and definitely sad (but also somewhat hopeful). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Infidelity, Death, and Suicide

Minor: Sexism, Cancer, and Death of parent

perseusj4ckson's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality

Moderate: Violence, Suicide, and Death

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Suicide, and Car accident

m4rtt4's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

I really loved the first part, and had the rest of the book been like it, I'd probably have given this at least 4.5 stars. Still not bad, all the nature stuff was mind-blowingly incredible, but some of the (POC) characters were pretty stereotypical and I didn't really like how all their stories intertwined in the second half.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Police brutality, Violence, Ableism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Sexual content, Infertility, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

indrabindra's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I'm not sure what I was expecting but this turned out differently. Poetic prose with clearly well researched facts dispersed throughout. I found character dialogue rather clunky, but the plot was captivating. Heavy handed with the mellowdrama to my taste. I don't think this is the "environmental fable" everyone says it is. It's a good story about trees and people, but it is not all-encompassing. Did not appreciate the endings for most of the characters, but I respect that ending a book is tricky. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexism and Cancer