Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

139 reviews

lauramcc7's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Death, Suicide, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Mental illness, and Death of parent

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.0

I have sort of confusing feelings about this book. I waffled between giving it three or four stars, but the last third of the book really hit hard for me, so I landed on four stars. This is a pretty brutal story, involving a character who has suffered immeasurably and dissociates quite frequently, leaving you with a disorienting feeling and not knowing quite what is going on. That's presumably meant to mirror Franny's confusing relationship with reality, which ends up feeling pretty profound by the end. This is a really sad story about climate change (you can't think too hard about the worldbuilding because it really doesn't make much sense) and about a person who wants to die but wants to die free. I didn't love this one as much as Once There Were Wolves, but I do find McConaghy's insights about life really moving.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Car accident, Alcohol, Child death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Blood, Abandonment, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Confinement, and Grief

singlier's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy 5/5 🕊️ s

I finished this book last week and its still been on my mind so I figured it was time to sit down and write about it. Just...wow. This book is probably the best I've listened to this year. Its also, without a doubt, the saddest. 

This book follows the life of a woman named Franny, who hopes to follow the last migration of the Arctic Tern, the longest migrating bird in the world, from the North Pole to the South Pole. In order to do so, she hitches a ride on a fishing vessel, exchanging her knowledge of the bird's path (and the schools of fish they feast on) for travel. 

In this bleak future, the animals of the planet are dying. Due to extreme climate change, most major animal species have gone extinct (save those used for human production and consumption), and there is little incentive to stop the decline save for the resources of a select group of researchers, who Franny's husband belongs to. 

However, throughout her journey to follow the Terns the reader gains access to moments in Franny's life that show how lonely, distraught, and traumatized she is: her soul is built to wander, never comfortable in one place too long, and the toll it takes on herself (as she tries to conform) and her loved ones (who ache to watch her go). She tracks down estranged family in search of her lost mother, and recalls the coldness (and strength) of her paternal grandmother who raised her. She builds a rapport with the crew whose ship she boards, and for once in her life, finds a place where she does not feel the need to run from. It paints a heartbreaking portrait of a woman who spent her whole life finding happiness, and the trials she goes through to carve it out for herself. It is a story of love, most of all, and the love for things that are long gone.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, and Blood

h_dubew's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

This book gave me so much perspective and after having finished it I feel grateful that I got to read this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death, Grief, and Sexual violence

serena_hien's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Sexual harassment, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Car accident, Blood, and Mental illness

Moderate: Pregnancy

jnunmont's review against another edition

5.0

I cried. This book was beautiful. It never dipped below a 4.75 for me but the way it ended made it a 5. This should be required reading in high schools it was an absolutely beautiful story and the main character is so complex. I absolutely adored this book way more than I thought I would. No description of it can truly do it justice. Just go and read it please!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Suicidal thoughts

ashaberstroh's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Car accident

vanesst's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Alcohol, Animal death, Car accident, Grief, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit and Sexual assault

thatsssorachael's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, Mental illness, Death, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abandonment, Medical content, Alcohol, and Child death

mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The topic of climate change and the fact that we as a species are irrevocably harming the earth and other species is something that already feeds my existential dread. So this book was a tough read for me. 

That being said I found myself rooting for Franny even with all her self destructive behavior. The impulse to be wildly free and to ignore problems and to grapple with internal guilt are all very relatable feelings for me.

In some ways I feel like this book was speaking directly to me. 

I'd recommend it if you like a book with a journey and a slew of complicated characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Animal death, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Death of parent