Reviews tagging 'Grief'

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

61 reviews

thebakersbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Racism, Violence, Slavery, Death, Blood, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Classism, Grief, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Blood, and Torture

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Body shaming, Abortion, and Forced institutionalization

astridrv's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

It took me a few chapters to get into it but I am now smitten with Solomon's prose. Aster is such a great protagonist, complex, real, unpredictable whilst making perfect sense. I am in love with Theo and thankful to have spent time with them both. The story telling is exquisite, I love the structure (with some jumps and folk tales and non-linear elements). The content is hard to stomach but true to the complexities of trauma and resistance. Also gender feels.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Blood, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Abortion, Child death, Classism, Homophobia, Self harm, Death, Death of parent, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Medical content

smith2ds's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Medical trauma, Rape, Abortion, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Blood, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Body horror

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Gore, Slavery, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Classism, Death, Child death, Racism, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Self harm, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Transphobia, Gun violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexism, Abortion, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Dysphoria

Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, Incest, Animal death, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse

mothwitchlibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Abortion, Racism, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicide, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Medical content, Child death, Bullying, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Murder, Classism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Confinement

caroline_norrish's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Rape, Racism, Abortion, Suicide, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Confinement, Mental illness, and Misogyny

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

rivers solomon has such an incredible and heartbreaking and magical way with words. i’m gonna think about this book forever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, Suicide, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Racism, Slavery, Transphobia, and Violence

hannah_a_r_teatalksbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.5

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this book; conceptually, it was fascinating. However, sometimes mysteries were picked up and set down again for reasons that escaped me. One example is the place where Lune's notes were stored, which seemed like it could have been much more developed. The resolution of the mystery of Lune's disappearance was anticlimactic,

and I was also very confused about the insistence the book had that she slit her throat, when there was no body and we never find out what happened

. Mostly, I was just unprepared for the incessant sexual violence in the book. There is so much sexual violence. It made the book hard to read, and not in the "this is hard but good/important for me" way, but in the "yes, we get it already, women of the Lowerdecks are raped incessantly, yes, I understand the problems inherent in this society and how it represents our own past and present, we've now passed the point where it develops theme, character, and plot and is just beating me up" sort of way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Child death, Confinement, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism, Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Sexual assault

Minor: Incest and Pedophilia

tifftastic87's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

Beautifully dark and depressing. With a small light in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Confinement, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Death, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, and Abortion

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Cursing, Dysphoria, Rape, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Bullying

riverrliam's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.25

This book is heavy on science terms, so be prepared to look things up! Some of the plot was confusing to me, but overall it was entertaining and a quick read. I liked all the queer representation. I love a dystopian story / escape for a better world and the setting was unique. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Body shaming, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Classism, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Bullying, Confinement, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Self harm, and Fire/Fire injury