Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

43 reviews

alicelalicon's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

erinwolf1997's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Incest, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Police brutality

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

I kept going back and forth on my rating for this one between a 4 and a 5. And to be honest, if I was rating only on the quality of the writing, both prose and structure, it probably deserves a 4. Still a very good book,  but there were parts that definitely didn't work or felt narratively clumsy, but truthfully, forest for the trees I found it deeply emotional, moving, and what did work was breathtaking and deeply deeply affecting for me. So this is sort of a “you know what, f**ck it, despite its flaws I loved it” 5 stars. A teenager and his mother both battle mental illness in the aftermath of the sudden death of their father/husband. The teenager, Benny, hears voices. And inanimate objects speak to him. And one of those is an omniscient voice called "The Book". And the narrative toggles back and forth between Benny's perspective and the perspective of the eponymous anthropomorphic book. And this device was used brilliantly to drive home the book's larger themes about the meaning that we give objects in our lives, especially when dealing with grief.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

cupidcove's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad fast-paced

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

3.25

I found this book a bit too John Green-y at times with the portrayal of one manic pixie dream girl character (Aleph) and her quirky cast of friends, but I ultimately found the narrative perspective and struture of the text and how it raises questions about the way we, as a society, frame questions about mental health interesting. I enjoyed the read, but wish I would have read it in high school. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse, Self harm, and Violence

Minor: Animal death and Homophobia

lidz_2tc's review against another edition

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness and Self harm

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

motleybooksandtea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Police brutality and Toxic friendship

iliveinletters's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Grief

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Fatphobia, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

ye_li's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Drug use, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Child abuse, Sexism, and Sexual content

savvylit's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

The Book of Form and Emptiness is a deep dive into the ills of consumerism, overwhelming grief, literature as refuge, and misunderstood mental illness. The two protagonists of Benny and his mother Annabelle are beautifully and unflinchingly portrayed. As Ozeki unveils their individual grief, it gradually morphs into distinct mental illnesses for each of them. Annabelle's hoarding happens so gradually and logically (to her) that readers come to see it for what it is: an entirely natural & unsurprising reaction to her loneliness. Similarly, Ozeki presents Benny's symptoms through the lens of magical realism. This allows readers to empathize with Benny's burden - rather than pity or judge. Also, two of the book's secondary characters are houseless individuals. Readers get to know both of them as Benny does - which is to come to understand the circumstances and pain that led to their ostracization from society at large.

In addition to Ozeki's masterful and nuanced portrayal of mental illness, this novel is a touching love letter to literature and public libraries. By the book's end, Benny learns what many of us already know: that literature and libraries can offer an incomparable refuge and that everyone has a story to tell.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Racism, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail