Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

30 reviews

fearavatar's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, and Drug abuse

Minor: Incest, Sexual assault, and Child death

silverhill's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Child abuse, Addiction, Incest, and Child death

laurenca's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment and Child death

Minor: Addiction

katiieecat's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Addiction, Incest, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Car accident, and Adult/minor relationship

valerie's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Death, Child abuse, Child death, and Drug abuse

leetorib's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

This book was such an unexpected light! The beginning felt a little slow but about 25% in, I felt untutored and invested in the ways the characters were coming together. The magical realism of the book felt well done and I found most of the plot twists enjoyable, even though a few were maybe a little more obvious. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Incest and Child death

haileybones's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

There is a magical quality to Other Birds that adds to its sweetness -- and its sadness. I liked the story and characters and especially Mallow Island, but the handling of the characters felt a little off to me. They're all dealing with some element of loss, abuse, family, identity, and/or learning how to move through the world and, despite all their personal tragedy and reluctance to process it, they're very self-aware. I think that narrative choice serves the themes and fairy tale vibe of the story, but it comes at the price of some of the authenticity or subtlety or something. It still emotionally connects (I cried more than once), but it was because the author has a talent for profound sentences more than me feeling something for a character. I also noticed the two most prominent black characters fell into some racialized tropes, which made me a little uncomfortable.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Sexual assault

milojean_reads's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Drug use

Minor: Pedophilia, Incest, Child death, and Sexual assault

angelaf's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

Picture a warm hug of a found family story set in a Melrose Place-esque apartment building on an SC island. Then mix in well-meaning ghosts, food as love, magical realism, and the theme of grief. Other Birds is one of my favorite kinds of books, a novel that addresses weighty topics while maintaining a hopeful tone. It is such a lovely book and well worth a read. Read if you enjoy: magical realism, found family stories, Southern authors, food writing

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Death, Incest, and Child death

elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Abandonment, and Child abuse

Minor: Mental illness