Reviews tagging 'Violence'

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

214 reviews

kiwij96's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

A harrowing loce story between two young public school boys who find themselves serving their country in World War 1.

The characters were all privileged brats in the best possible way. You can imagine these boys existing and having these conversations, they're so realistic. The history was well-researched and beautifully written - the horror and the brutality of war. The romance was appropriately written for two teenage boys navigating a world where their love is forbidden, it was also age-appropriately awkward as most teenage love is.

This book broke me in more ways than one. By halfway my heart had broken maybe 5 or 6 times, and by the end I was just broken and sobbing.

Great pace, characters, history and plot. Would highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide and Classism

Minor: Sexual content and Antisemitism

alexandramillar's review

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War

novelshire's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Grief

Minor: Confinement and Antisemitism

julievancan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was entirely gripped by this devastating story. As other reviews note, the descriptions of trench warfare are viscerally violent and relentless bleak, but Winn brings humanity and intimacy to the love story, which is the beating, bleeding heart of this beautiful novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and War

catorureads's review

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book does not romanticize war, yet it shows us how we can find love even in the cruelest places.
While this book is disturbing and sad, I found the moments that will haunt me the most are the smallest little things. The In Memoriam pages in the newspaper. When you see 16 years old next to a name of a boy in the list of killed in action. When people who're both German and English are forced to fight against their kin. 

The thing that will keep lingering in my mind however, is the very last page of this book. Without spoiling, it's another newspaper article of 10 November 1918. I think that says enough. 

I did not cry but it was a very brutal book so make sure you're in the right headspace to read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Antisemitism

Minor: Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

laurennicole98's review

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, and Xenophobia

kiwialexa's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Classism

lc_27's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Cannot stop thinking about this book and the characters. So good. I can't put into words how much I love it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and War

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content

whatnovareads's review

adventurous emotional sad tense 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

4.5

Oof [hand on chest & deep exhale] ❤️‍🩹

When I started reading In Memoriam, I never thought I would stay up until the early hours of the morning to finish reading it- for me that's a huge deal! This is heartbreaking, harrowing, beautiful and epic.
 

I learnt so much about boys' public schools, conscription (and white feathers), the hierarchy of officers during war (and how unjustly titles were allocated) and the brutalities of the First World War - even poetry. 

I regularly forgot how young the soldiers were. The atrocities of war forced them to grow up quickly, oftentimes i imagined the main characters as grown men but was reminded they were teenagers and the gut punch worsened when i read the Roll of Honour in the Preshutian. These were school boys going to war, lambs to the slaughter. 

I was keen to know how the love story between Gaunt and Ellwood would develop, would they "make it" or not? What can I say? 

I love true love, I love enduring love. 

I usually find a good quote from the book to summarise the main theme but in this instance there are too many. The writing is simply beautiful- elegant. I can’t believe this is a debut novel! I would encourage everyone who reads this book to also read the Author’s Note - it’s fascinating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicide

danielrch's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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 most touching, affecting book I've read in a long time. The two main characters - Gaunt and Ellwood - are so colourfully put together you sometimes forget they're not real. Two young men from a reputable public school in pre-WW1 Britain are thrust into a conflict for which they're far too young. Winn has a talent for character, and she makes you feel everything they go through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence