Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

145 reviews

carolinebl's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

I wanted to like this book, because I loved Neverwhere and Good Omens, but something was missing.  I would have enjoyed it more as a short story, as was originally intended. I could see certain points about the nature of childhood, but I couldn’t grasp the heart of the story.

The Hempstocks were comforting and the characterisation of ‘Ursula’ was very creative,

so I didn’t struggle to finish the book. The epilogue was one of my favourite sections also, but overall the book did not feel fully fleshed-out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Animal death, and Death

thecandiegirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Sexual content, Infidelity, Animal death, and Blood

akapaldo's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide and Infidelity

Minor: Animal death

tabookish's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Confinement, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Child death, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Abandonment, Infidelity, and Grief

krinaverse's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Animal death

toadmato's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Have you ever reflected on childhood memories and wondered if they were real. That's kind of what this book feels like, fuzzy memories.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death and Child abuse

riverofhorton's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

So I went into this book thinking it was a kid's book and would be a fun frolic in a fantasy world. A kid's book it most definitely is not, despite the main character being 7 through the main part of the story. Once I realised and came to terms with my own assumptions being wrong, I found the book to be really enjoyable.

It tackles a few quite mature themes through the wonder of a child's perspective, which is something I don't think I've seen before. It takes place pretty much in our world but with a bit of magic thrown in, some being things that are still magic to us as children, giving the impression that there is magic to be found in the real world, if you look through that child-like lens.

I did also appreciate some of the little call backs to things that previously seemed unimportant.

I also liked that it ends in such a way as to facilitate re-reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, Suicide, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Violence, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Animal death, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Physical abuse

emreads0's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

I feel bad almost for the rating because the concept is great, love the accuracy of trauma as a discussion not a shock value, and where it was going. HOWEVER, the 60% mark is really where it started to lose me I think. By the end, I just wanted it to conclude...  cool and magical realism, but felt like it dragged ironically for a short story 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Child abuse

Moderate: Infidelity and Animal death

chronicacademia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Child death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Car accident, Death, and Infidelity

Minor: Blood and Bullying

squirrel66's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Das Buch ist erst einmal wunderschön in der illustrierten Version. Sowohl wegen der Illustrationen, als auch wegen des Schreibstils mit dem man direkt in der Handlung landet kommt man echt flott durch. 

Die Handlung hat mich überrascht, sie ist magischer/fantastischer, aber auch gruseligen & düsterer als erwartet bei einer Kindergeschichte (?). Also definitiv (auch) was für erwachsene Kinder.

Ich fand die Story und den Erzählfluss super. Die Wahrnehmung aus Kindersicht hat sich sehr echt angefühlt. Die mit der realen Welt verwobene Magie hat mir gefallen, auch wenn sie nur beobachtet und nicht wirklich weiter erklärt wurde. Allerdings wäre es damit eine deutlich umfangreichere Geschichte, für mich hat es schon für diesen Einblick in die Rückblende gepasst. Und es passt auch zu dem Fakt, dass diese Geschichte ursprünglich eine Kurzgeschichte werden sollte.

Das Buch bleibt mir definitiv im Kopf und hat mich neugierig auf mehr Geschichten von Gaiman gemacht.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Animal death