Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill

20 reviews

sam_rm94's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

3.5

“…you feel the loss of something until it is completely lost.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide, Murder, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

geeprep's review

adventurous dark emotional funny medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Sexual content, Grief, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Abortion, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Domestic abuse

noel_k's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

It is a book one must give 4 stars because it is a beautifully grotesque atrocity, reminiscent of Nabokov. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Abortion, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Toxic relationship

jlye's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

I liked the themes of this book, but don’t want to give too much away in a review. I found the plot to be quite fast-paced until I got closer to the ending. The characters are deeply, deeply flawed, which made for an interesting story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Murder, Transphobia, and Child death

navitalks's review

dark inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is the best book I’ve read in the last few years. The writing is incredible and the story is never to be expected. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug use, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Abortion, Cursing, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

sheepwithteeth's review against another edition

dark hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

a queer revolutionary alternative-history with a campy, salacious fairy-tale style. Really enjoyable read <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

pbella3's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Body shaming, Abandonment, Murder, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Rape

mmayern's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Abortion, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Death of parent, Classism, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Death, Rape, Violence, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Homophobia, Gun violence, Sexism, and Misogyny

annamgoodman's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, and Abortion

siobhanward's review

reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I feel like I falter sometimes on O'Neill. I really did not like <i> The Lonely Hearts Hotel </i>, but I'm glad I wound up reading this one. O'Neill has a gift for writing women, and I appreciate that her women are not helpless. They may seem hopeless (and out of touch in this case) at times, but never entirely helpless. 

I loved the juxtaposition between Marie and Mary, I thought a lot of that plot was clever. 

I also do like that the characters kind of got what was coming to them, which doesn't often happen in these books. In a post-Trump world, it's nice that some times bad people meet bad endings or aren't forgiven for the shitty things they've done.

. I had a lot of fun with this one - I wish more of the setting had been explored, especially the anglo area of Montreal that the characters lived, but there was already a lot happening, so I get why it wasn't. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Rape

Moderate: Death

Minor: Death of parent