Reviews tagging 'Death'

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

27 reviews

captainoliimar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

skudiklier's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-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

4.75

God, I love this series.

It's a bit bittersweet because I've only recently become fully aware of the extent of Rainbow Rowell's issues--namely, her racism in her earlier book Eleanor & Park, and her subsequent lack of apology or any form of acknowledgement of the harm she's caused. Eleanor & Park continues to be her most well-known and successful work, and it's being adapted into a movie, and Rowell still hasn't done *anything* to make up for its racism. Which is inexcusable, and leads me to think I shouldn't support her or her work moving forward. 

That said, I do love this series. If I were to think of this book without that knowledge of Rowell's racism in her other work, then I would unreservedly recommend this trilogy, and say this book was my favorite of the three. It's so much about intimacy, and healing, and how to make relationships work, and family, and I cried even when I didn't need to at all. It was beautiful. 

But I don't believe the art and the artist can be separated like that--not when she has refused to listen to those she's harmed, or acknowledged said harm at all. I don't think Rowell or her work should be supported, at least for now. I won't be buying any of her future books unless she fully reckons with the harm her racism has caused.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Grief, and Medical trauma

Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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

5.0

Simon, Baz, Agatha, Penelope, and Miles are back from America, but as usual, things aren’t exactly going smoothly. Miles is still under a curse that Penelope is determined to break, Simon and Baz (but mostly Simon) are still having problems communicating about their feelings for each other, and now there are people claiming to be the true Chosen One.

I’ll be honest,  couldn’t tell you exactly what the plot of this book was. The focus was very much on the characters’ interpersonal relationships, especially Simon and Baz’s, and how they worked through their trauma and past miscommunications together. That is not a criticism at all; I absolutely loved it. Rowell has a way of writing certain scenes and feelings that hit me like a punch to the stomach because it feels like someone has reached into my brain and written down thoughts I couldn’t have even put into words. That’s how I felt reading a lot of the Simon-and-Baz scenes, but also some of the interactions between Agatha and Niamh.

It made so much sense to me that Agatha realized she might like women. She was so closed off in the other books, even to Simon, her supposed great love. I loved seeing her find her path within the magical world and realize that she can fit in, even though it’s not in the way she always thought. I also love that she took over the lesbian goatherd position at Watford! ;)

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending):

Happy! Rowell wrapped everything up pretty nicely...and I almost wish she hadn’t, so we could have another book!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, and Gaslighting

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

emotional funny fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

elshell's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, and Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty

nyssbomb's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Abandonment

anamars's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-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 broke me and healed me and just... its so perfect, it's so beautifully written and treats every subject so well.
im so glad for this book, i had completely different expectations for the Entire thing. i did not think it would be like this at all but im glad it is. im glad thats how it ended and im just so happy 😭😭😭 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Abandonment

Minor: Death and Death of parent