Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

31 reviews

jogginglake's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a wonderful book, the descriptions are incredible and it's almost dreamlike. I say almost because there are these jarring, heavy moments that thud in the pit of your stomach and make the book really difficult to read, like when

Katrina is raped by her 'friend' Evan for rent, or is sexually assaulted by the bank manager running the big competition specifically because she's trans,

or the very frank and blunt descriptions of sex work. I don't think these things make the book worse, but they really are very jarring in a way that I think was intended, but still is unpleasant to read. I would definitely recommend this book, but I would warn that it's not nearly as light a read as you might expect from the SFF aliens running a donut store description.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, and Outing

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Suicide, Self harm, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, War, and Physical abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Deadnaming, Death, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, and Racial slurs

lorriss's review

adventurous hopeful

• 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: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

Moderate: Homophobia, Bullying, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Rape, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and War

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Drug use, Fatphobia, Incest, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

nightstitch96's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia and Homophobia

Minor: Self harm and Suicide

lj_sophia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

I love this book like a mother loves a child. It's just incredible from start to finish and I will never stop recommending it to everyone, including those who don't usually read sci-fi. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Transphobia, and War

Moderate: Deadnaming and Suicide

corriejn's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

Uncategorizable, and wonderful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Self harm, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Violence, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Bullying, Sexual content, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse

Minor: War and Deadnaming

eegekay's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Transphobia, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Dysphoria

stelepami's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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

I devoured it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Outing, Self harm, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicide

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Child death, Deadnaming, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, and Suicide

Fetishization of trans women and women of color. Deadnaming in only one scene. Assault briefly on-page, but mostly implied/discussed; mild sexual content in the form of camming and sex work. Use of transphobic/homophobic, racial, and ableist slurs, both reclaimed and otherwise.

readerette's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

When the book started so slow and I realized how many characters there were, and with how loose of ties to one another at first, I almost decided to stop. 

But Katrina's experience as a transwoman kept me in it, as she experienced pain after pain and still learned to trust again. It was emotional to read, but beautiful. The trigger warnings are accurate, and there's enough lightness, goodness and love to balance them out.

Once I got used to the writing style (perfunctory and shifting between characters) and started to see where the story could go, I didn't want to put it down. The existential questions in this story were also refreshingly posed.

The Endplague just feels to me like civilization levels of mortal despair, and raises the question of what to do in the face of that knowledge: the same question each of us individual mortals has to answer for ourselves.

If you like sci fi/fantasy with a heart (the Becky Chambers comparisons are apt), I recommend this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death

Minor: Vomit, Murder, Mental illness, Outing, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Suicide

madradstarchild's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Child abuse

Moderate: Rape, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Racism

Minor: Violence, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Suicide, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Cursing, Self harm, Toxic friendship, War, Misogyny, and Bullying