Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

87 reviews

purplemuskogee's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

I enjoyed this book, which I read in just a day, but I also found it difficult to follow and difficult to categorise. The narrator Franny is trying to follow the last migration of the Arctic terns - who are expected to go extinct anytime soon, like most other wild animals already have - and manages to hitch a ride from the Saghani, a fishing vessel, from Greenland down the Atlantic. Franny is an unreliable narrator, and the timeline isn't linear with many flashbacks to her past, in Australia, Dublin and Galway. There are a few plot twists, but I can't say I found them surprising: Franny is repeatedly shown to be "a wanderer", a complex character, a sleepwalker who turns sometimes violent. None of this is really explained and that bothered me, just like the world she lives in, where all wild animals have gone extinct due to climate change, isn't explained and ends up feeling like a detail. I think the strength of the book is the anxiety it generates, and its beautiful writing, rather than its characters or universe. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death

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

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

brookebatesratesbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Suicide, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, and Cursing

acuppabooks18's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death of parent, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

shrineofyourlies's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Car accident

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Miscarriage

izzy_v's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This book really surprised me, in a good way. It was emotional and at times dark, but beautiful in the way the story was crafted and how aspects of Franny’s personality and life were revealed through flashbacks and subtle hints. I really enjoyed the experience of reading and following the story! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Blood

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Animal death, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Minor: Child death and Miscarriage

lianne_rooney's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Animal death, and Child death

fatfatrat's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Car accident, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Child death, Miscarriage, and Vomit

kirahaycock21's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

4.75

I didn’t like the way it ended (though it was appropriate for the genre). I would’ve liked to hear more about Ennis and the other friends she made on the fishing boat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death

Moderate: Self harm, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Terminal illness, Vomit, Alcohol, Sexual content, Rape, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, and Sexual assault