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caitlinxreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Racial slurs, Cannibalism, Body horror, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Addiction, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, and Self harm
alicelalicon's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Racism, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Xenophobia, Grief, Mental illness, and Gore
baileyanabella's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Slight spoiler alert in the content warnings - but if you are sensitive to dark themes I recommend looking over them, there is a lot in this book.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Addiction, Body horror, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Grief, Racism, Confinement, Suicide attempt, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Drug use, Child death, and Chronic illness
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
And Then She Fell is the story of Alice, a Mohawk woman married to a white man and the mother of a newborn who has recently moved to suburban Toronto. I found Alice’s story to be a rich one, full of many layers, and while I’m not a fan of horror I thought horror elements were used here to excellent effect. The first half of the story appears straightforward. We first meet Alice as a young teen and witness the beginning of her mental health problems, as she sees and hears things that aren’t actually there. It’s clear that intergenerational trauma, misogyny, sexism and the legacy of colonisation plays into this. As an adult her mental health struggles are exacerbated by her move to the city where she feels alienated and unwelcome, encounters micro aggressions as well as more blatant racism, and is also troubled by cultural appropriation - her husband building his career on the back of her culture, gaining knowledge she hasn’t had access to. Add in the tough reality of a new baby and postpartum depression and it’s not a total surprise when she experiences a total psychotic break. Or does she? For at this point the story takes a really interesting turn. I don’t want to give too much away but it definitely left me with lots to think about - particularly the cultural lens through which we view mental illnesses, how something that is viewed as an illness in one culture could be viewed very differently by someone steeped in the knowledge of another culture. I was also left pondering the power of cultural knowledge and understanding, as well as the nature of horror, particularly that which is part of some people’s everyday reality. While aspects of this novel were tough to read - none more so than Alice’s terror at her hallucinations - there were other aspects that were a delight. Chief amongst these was the bonds between the women in Alice’s life. Her aunt, niece and cousin clearly had her back but by the end of the novel we’d seen that the bonds of female solidarity and empowerment ran far deeper and were much more complex. There is also a story within a story - a version of a Haudenosaunee creation story which Alice is attempting to write. There are clear parallels to be made between Alice’s story and that of the Sky Woman. The ending Alice crafted for her was perfect. I’d love to see this book on the shortlist.
Graphic: Grief, Addiction, Colonisation, Racism, Mental illness, and Death of parent
savvylit's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Racism, Gaslighting, Addiction, Colonisation, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Grief
jessicakornelsen's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness, Drug abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Colonisation, Classism, Racial slurs, Genocide, and Body horror
realityczar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Cannibalism
georgiaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Racism, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body horror, Cannibalism, and Addiction
drownedinfictionx's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, Alcohol, Medical content, Addiction, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Child death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Gore, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Classism, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts
tenderbench's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Addiction, Racism, Colonisation, Grief, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit