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lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Suicide
Minor: Homophobia
CSA is mentioned twice in this book
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Rape
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What did I just read…I feel like a had a bad LSD trip 😅
Strange, unique writing style
Strange, unique writing style
Clever concept
Quick to read
I had a hard time following what was happening and there wasn’t really a plot. I wanted to love this and have had it on my TBR forever but it just fell flat.
I seem to be in the minority of not or seeing the “poetry” or understanding what’s happening half the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Grief
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Slavery
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, War
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book wasn't for me and I can't really pinpoint why because there are several aspects of it that I really liked/found interesting.
I really liked the setting and the idea of the book. The way it is told is really unique, and I appreciated that.
The book starts with the death of 11-year-old Willie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son. And we get chapters full of accounts from contemporary witnesses regarding the death and Lincoln's reaction to it. I liked these chapters, they helped me a lot to get immersed into that time period. But funnily they also reminded me of my assignments at university where I basically copied and arranged a lot of quotes and then wrote my essay around them. Saunders doesn't add anything to the quotes he uses, though, just strings them together. Sometimes they repeat the same thing over and over again. But I actually liked that.
And then we have the chapters that take place at the cemetery at night. And we learn that the ghosts of the dead actually wander around the premises. They can see and interact with each other, but not with the living. (Didn't expect this at all when I read the book on Halloween weekend. :D )
And although I liked this idea, I really didn't care for the things these ghost said or did most of the time. I think, I only cared for the 2-3 main narrators, but I skimmed through the rest. And there was a lot to skim.
I do think grief, the need to cling to life and the fear of letting go were depicted really well in the book, but maybe the time period wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Grief
Minor: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, War
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Suicide
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Racism, Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Grief
challenging
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Overall I think this was a very creative and interesting book! The format made it harder to read, but I think it was a brilliant idea and was executed well. Of course, as per the time period, there were some inappropriate topics and comments made by some of the characters, but I think it's on-brand for this time period. It was both heartbreaking and light-hearted at the same time somehow. Glad I read it but I might not read it again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Self harm, Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Rape