Reviews with content warning for Death - What I'd Rather Not Think About

Reviews tagging 'Death'

What I'd Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma

6 reviews

my_a's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Not what I was expecting- in form or focus. The vignette style was unique and I really enjoyed it, short and sharp, this kept my focus and gave the story a more fluid and emerging narrative.

I feel like the focus of the book is slightly mis-sold by the blurb and quotes etc. It's less about the sister coping post-loss, most of the book is about their lives growing up, then his final few months and only the final section of the book is the years after.

But still, I enjoyed it. The prose was direct but precise and layered in places. The final sentences got me.

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ameliasbooks's review against another edition

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dark sad fast-paced

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

3.25

As much as I was interested in the story and in the special connection of twins, even more with regard to be losing someone to death, I struggled to connect with this story, it always kept me somehow at a distance. I don't think the writing in vignettes was the reason for that, I've read other books in that style, which I loved.
Also coincidentally I had just read In Defence of the Act by Effie Black, before this book came in from the library and in comparison that book impressed me a lot more with its writing about suicide.
The characters are also not that well developed, they are lacking some depth.
And throwing in Mengele and the concentration camps for no obvious reasons, felt not only unnecessary to me, but made me feeling a bit uncomfortable.

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