Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

25 reviews

friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.0

This was a very unique story, spanning over many years, and is apocalyptic and beautiful. I liked the first half better than tge second, the writing is beautiful and the story heartbreaking. Would recommend if you're interested in ecology and the potential future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Grief

kelseylee123's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Gun violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, Animal death, and Body horror

hmatt's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

4.25

It's a rarity, at least in the range of speculative fiction that I usually read, to encounter a book that so thoroughly looks at the "in-between times". So often, we're plopped into a near-future where things have mostly transitioned to a "new" way of being post-climate disaster/pandemic/whatever. The Light Pirate doesn't do this: It takes the reader through the before, mid, and after in heart-wrenching detail, and is a much better story for it.

That said, this book is definitely a slower burn. Very, very dramatic things happen but they almost feel muted because of how they're described. I didn't hate this, it's just something to note. We're taken through the entire life of the main character (who is "The Light Pirate") from multiple perspectives.

There are maybe supernatural elements to this story, but I thought the author did a great job of keeping that mostly vague, as though they could also be explained through science.

I've tagged the book as hopeful because it is - despite experiencing incredible loss throughout her life, the main character persists.

I've started and not finished one of the author's other novels multiple times, and my enjoyment of this one may just be the push I need to actually push through it this year

Loved the little romance at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Death, Bullying, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death

polkadotkat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It was a very well-written book. The first part was absolutely gripping, but the tone shifted significantly after that, which I hadn't expected. An excellent read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dementia, Death of parent, and Grief

Climate/weather disasters, hurricanes

nutmegandpumpkin's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

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

4.0

It made me anxious about the future of Florida but was beautifully written and sad but not without hope. The way the decline of society / structure is shown in the book feels very realistic. 

Some quick info:
• spans over an entire lifetime
• set in a fictional town in SE Florida
• a little sapphic 
• post apocalyptic? The fall of society? Nature taking back?
• SAD :(
• but brings up important points and ideas

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, and Dementia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Gore

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Child death

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Gun violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Death, Murder, and Bullying

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

tifftastic87's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

5.0

The Light Pirate follows Wanda who is born in a devastating hurricane that changes not only the trajectory of her family but signals the change in the world itself. We follow Wanda as she grows up in a Florida ravaged by climate change. She learns to survive, guided by her mentor and adoptive mother, Phyllis. Phyllis is an ecologist and a bit of a prepper, but she was right. As Florida slips further away, Wanda becomes more isolated and the rest of the country follows. 

This book is beautifully written, it reminds me a lot of Mink River in that it is very much about the environment as much as the characters. Its a love letter to a world slipping away. 

Wanda is such a wonderful character and she suffers so much loss throughout her life. The climate anxiety underlaying the whole story gave it an edge that made it border on post apocalyptic. But the moments of Wanda doing basic survival things, mending nets, drying fish etc gave it a quiet element that most disaster movies and post-apocalyptic stories don't have. It was a quiet survival. In parts it reminded me of Water World. 

The pacing was great and the "chapters" that were just from the perspective of the environment were a wonderful touch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Bullying

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual content, and Animal death

brianna_moye's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief, Animal death, Bullying, and Pregnancy

jebecky's review against another edition

The loss was so great I couldn't stomach any more of the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Child death, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Gaslighting and Blood

oceanwriter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Choosing to read this book while vacationing in Florida was perhaps not the wisest decision, but I guess it did give me a certain level of appreciation that I might not have had otherwise...

Set sometime in a not-so-distant future in an ever-shrinking Florida, Wanda is born in the midst of a terrible storm. The story sees this extraordinary child through to adulthood. In her lifetime she's privy to constant changes in her family and climate. Even when things reach total disaster, she's reluctant to leave her home. 

I loved the writing. It was atmospheric and created vivid imagery. What lacked for me was the characterization. I didn't connect to anyone which kept me from getting fully immersed into the story. A 'me' issue, I'm sure. I did like it, I just didn't latch onto it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, and Grief

Minor: Animal death and Dementia