Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

4 reviews

inkwellimps's review

adventurous mysterious 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

Read this book after Sacha Lamb suggested it in a podcast, and it filled the hole in my heart left from finishing When the Angels Left the Old Country. A lot of similarities with that book, quite a few differences, but just as good with a similar feel.

The characters are standout and very engaging. Alter, the man haunted by his past and the death that follows him trying to make an honest living. Frankie, the smug and confident leader of a Robin Hood-style lovable thieves gang. Raizel, the staunch anarchist (historical anarchists yay!) and investigative journalist.

Very much a book about labor rights and the competing ideologies between the three characters. Alter trying to work with the status quo, Raizel looking for labor reform, and Frankie gaming the system. Very queer book from beginning to end. A lot can also be said about how we hold on to grief.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Vomit

Minor: Terminal illness

Possession is a major theme of this book. The lead character prepares bodies for burials and that process is described several times. The "panic attacks" I tagged include detailed hallucinations. The adult/minor relationship is in a character's backstory and not portrayed as an okay thing by the text (thankfully).

spookily's review

adventurous dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Vomit, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Misogyny, Suicide, Excrement, and Police brutality

ofbooksandechos's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

I think I would have enjoyed this more if I read it instead of listen to the audiobook. I don't know, the narrator's voice acting choices didn't sit well with me most times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, Antisemitism, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape

perpetualpages's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

CWs: death; blood; references to terminal illness, massacre, and mass murder; brief reference to suicide ideation; internalized homophobia; antisemitism and antisimetic slurs; non-graphic references to past sexual abuse; fire-related trauma and drowning; and violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Blood, and Antisemitism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Murder