Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

27 reviews

decie's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

4.5

pick this up when you want raw, heavy, rage-filled poetry. if you're primed for a fantasy plot you'll be disappointed. that's not what the author is doing here. it's better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Grief, Classism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Racism, Police brutality, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Drug use and Confinement

Minor: Animal death

doomluz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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 novella is very emotional. The main focus on Elle and Kev and the brutalities and injustice they experience and they witness. It shows a lot of the struggles of incarcerated people and POC, especially Black people.
Though I kind of would have liked to see the sci-fi/fantasy elements in this story explored a bit more, I also liked that it stayed focused on the raw anger and heartbreak. A hard sci-fi or fantasy approach might've distracted from the real life issues this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, and Violence

Moderate: Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

Minor: Miscarriage and Cancer

medical racism

albernikolauras's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

This book follows a brother born during the LA Riots and a sister who can see the future. Riot Baby had the build up of a riot - a slow, even start that becomes angrier and more frustrated at a world that won't provide them the rights they deserve. The writing didn't hold your hand as you are moved through the main character's lives in big time jumps, some time fluidity, and short vignettes.

I really enjoyed this series. It reminded me so much of the Los Angeles I grew up with - especially at the beginning. I loved how Tochi Onyebuchi portrayed his themes relentlessly and without mercy. His writing is skillful. There's no way of capturing all of this book in a single read, but it stands by itself on a single read with no issues. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Pregnancy, Violence, and Hate crime

Moderate: Medical trauma

literaryliaisons's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Suicide, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail

mzynda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, Hate crime, Gun violence, Confinement, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Murder

beccaand's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Violence, and Confinement

Moderate: Child death, Medical trauma, and Miscarriage

Minor: Domestic abuse

vonni's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Racism, Self harm, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Violence, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, Medical content, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Gore

katiebowers's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

I want this novella to be a full length novel so that it can further explore details of the story that weren’t essential, but that made me curious - what exactly is Ella’s power? Why does she have it and why is she (seemingly) the only one? I’d like to see just *more* development of her and Kev’s characters. I’d like the novel to be long enough to really see them grow up - though I guess there’s a point to be made there about who gets time to just be a kid in America, and who has to grow up fast. 

And also, none of my questions are the point. This story is a loudly banging exploration of (white) America’s ongoing historic war on Black people, decade after decade, in continuous new (but also old) ways. It’s about a future that is more of the same, or maybe a future where it all gets torn down for something actually free. It’s about the things that Black individuals and communities do to keep moving towards that day. Getting caught up on the lack of explanation around Ella’s powers feels distinctly Not The Point. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Slavery, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, Racism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Miscarriage

danajoy's review

challenging dark tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racism, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Cursing, and Child death

ofbooksandechos's review

challenging dark hopeful tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma