Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge

7 reviews

laurareads87's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Strange Beasts of China follows an unnamed narrator who writes about beasts: creatures of various kinds who inhabit the city of Yong'an and who are different in some way but 'otherwise are just the same as humans.'  Each chapter relates the story of one type of beast, while also touching on the relationships between the narrator and other characters, particularly her professor and his assistant.  The whole book has a sort of eerie, mysterious tone, and the writing is beautiful.  The author addresses many themes -- labour exploitation, gendered oppression, urban alienation, grief -- in nuanced ways.  I will say I did like the beginning of the book more than the ending, and the 'twists' at the end felt abrupt and a bit out of place, but overall I really enjoyed this and would happily read more from the same author.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Suicide, Violence, Misogyny, Death, Medical content, Sexism, Grief, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Cannibalism

spaceteapot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Grief, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, and Child abuse

saint_eleanor's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.0

This book is so beautiful and interesting, i think it could have greatly benefited from like just one illustration!! The language was super descriptive but i was so curious about the author’s intended visions. Also prepare yourself for the main character vomiting every 5 seconds. The only thing was that, maybe because it was translated from the original language, some of the Aha-moments did not register with me the way i could tell they were supposed to. Otherwise definitely read this!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Genocide, Death of parent, Misogyny, Gore, and Child death

theatrix's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This was a quick and engrossing and thought-provoking read, but also challenging, both due to the wide range of disturbing themes (there are many, but most are touched on pretty briefly), and due to the style, which doesn't baby you with explanations and trusts you to put pieces together yourself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Abandonment, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Stalking, Chronic illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Blood, Pregnancy, Torture, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Slavery, Trafficking, and Vomit

clarabooksit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Child death, Death, Body horror, Alcohol, Colonisation, Grief, Trafficking, Suicide, Self harm, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Gore, Blood, Stalking, Cannibalism, Animal death, Genocide, and Injury/Injury detail

mmikadze's review

2.25

DNF @ 52%

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

charleyroxy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.5

"'I've read everything you've written about beasts,' he said. 'You make it all sound so real. The beasts are more human than the humans, and the humans are beastlier than the beasts.'"

Strange Beasts of China is the most recent offering from Tilted Axis Press and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Written by Yan Ge over ten years ago, when she was just 21, and recently translated beautifully from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang. I was interested, though not surprised, when I found out this novel was originally released episodically for a monthly publication. There is a definite storyline that runs throughout but each beasts profile and story could stand on its own.

We are whisked along by our nameless protagonist, who was once a promising cryptozoologist and now a novelist, to the city of Yong'an. The city is populated by a host of beasts that have sometimes visible and sometimes invisible effects on the inhabitants. The novelist is trying to make deadlines for each beast story while juggling interactions with her friends and colleagues (enigmatic former professor, her boisterous friend Charley and another zoology student, Zhong Liang), looking for the different beasts and binge drinking at the Dolphin Bar.

I really enjoyed spending time in Yong'an and, whenever I put the book down, I couldn't wait to get back to the city. There many aspects of the writing I loved from the language used to the forumlaic way each chapter was organized: here is what we know about the beast, the action takes place, revelation and the truth. I was always reading with a large amount of anticipation and searching for clues everywhere. I also loved the layers. There was the story but there was also a lot of commentary as well like how as humans we often seem to be fearful of and try to destroy things we do not understand.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit