Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

17 reviews

gwenswoons's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

So unusual and truly marvelous in the most literal sense. I LOVED You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty, one of my favorites of the last many years, and thought Vivek Oji was amazing too; but this is my first YA of Emezi’s, and I wasn’t sure what it might be like. But it’s gorgeous - their writing always stuns me and leaves me breathless and this is no different. I thought it was truly incredible, in a work that is so accessible for younger readers, to have language so eloquent and perfumed in the way Emezi’s always is, and to be able to approach the heaviest and most devastating topics of humanity with a light enough touch that a younger reader could live inside this story. I’m not someone who loves fantasy  - I don’t read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, and sometimes supernatural elements lose me a little bit - but Emezi’s writing is just so beautiful and so compelling at every turn that I didn’t even give a thought to whether or not I believed what was happening (I just: did). Same, somehow, too, with the allegorical/archetypal elements: these could be so obvious and heavy-handed on another writer’s desk, and yet Emezi’s world building and story crafting are so exquisite that every element of the story - every word, every turn of phrase and plot - feels inevitable. Such a gorgeous read, and I thought the audio was gorgeously narrated, too, by Christopher Myers (something about this book as a dark fairytale/ parable worked really beautifully for me in audio format and I feel like Myers really captured for readers that feeling of listening to a story - so good).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Dysphoria, Grief, and Gore

Minor: Child abuse, Incest, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Transphobia

anaheeta's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Quite a short read, the author managed to use a powerfully imaginative and crafty metaphor to describe a really difficult subject. 


“The truth does not change whether it is seen or unseen, it whispered in her mind. A thing which is happening happens whether you look at it or not. And yes, maybe it is easier not to look. Maybe it is easier to say because you do not see it, it is not happening. Maybe you can pull the stone out of the pool and put the moon back together.” 
(There were too many incredible quotes to choose from)

This book really left me heartbroken. It is powerfully written, the story and pacing is gripping and makes you read it in one day, the characters are very diverse, and the setting is in a futuristic utopia of sorts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Violence, Pedophilia, Blood, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Mental illness

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Murder, Pregnancy, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Blood, Police brutality, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Grief, War, Pedophilia, and Gore

ebp's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Grief, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Rape, and Child abuse

Minor: Physical abuse

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Blood, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Body horror

wormiebrains's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

Beautifully written story about a young child refusing to back down and protecting their own when the adults don't want to listen.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Grief

My favorite aspect about the book is the perspective of a child who has been raised with the ability to ask questions and truly study the world around them. Jam knows something terrible is happening and refuses to believe the adults telling all the children that their newly built society is perfect and without flaw. Because they have not taught the children what is not okay the children don't know how to tell the adults that something is not okay. It also shows that you are never too young to stand up for people, even if it is against your own family.

summerb's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Murder, Transphobia, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Rape, Vomit, Racism, Violence, Cursing, Hate crime, and Homophobia

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective 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? Yes

4.5

i would totally recommend reading bitter first. it shows you the world, some of the characters, and the situation that leads you to the beginning of this book. this is a great read! Emezi is a phenomenal writer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Classism, Grief, and Racism

abbyluvsfrogs444's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-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

I am in complete awe. What a brilliant novel. I will be thinking about this book until the end of time. Perfect. Just perfect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Physical abuse

Minor: Cursing and Vomit

amre23's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Incest

Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Ableism, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Deadnaming, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Dysphoria, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Medical content, Suicide, Police brutality, Cursing, and Sexual violence