Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts by Soraya Palmer

4 reviews

bloodmaarked's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

aggressively mid. i won't remember this book by the end of the year.

✧ full review on my tumblr ✧

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Homophobia, Abortion, Cancer, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, and Transphobia

Moderate: Body horror, Medical content, Grief, Drug use, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Cursing

liorallen's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Physical abuse

the_true_monroe's review

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.75

This book is a tough one to process, in a good way. I never read anything like it, where the narrator goes in between directly telling about the day to day lives or specific events that occurred in the lives of 2 sisters, their mother and father, to telling stories of mythical creatures (often the family would tell these stories), to combining both to where you were made to wonder what was meant to be part of a mythical retelling or was happening in the moment in terms of interactions of the mythical and magical creatures with the family.

The magical realism is used to address and emphasize experiences surrounding coming of age, cultural identity, gender and sexuality, racism, trauma and what I think was one of the most defining themes (as it interacted with each of the ones I mentioned prior): generational trauma. 

I found this books thanks to Storygraph’s Around The World Challenge- representing Trinidad (this book takes place in Brooklyn, NY, Jamaica and Trinidad).

Definitely will be looking for more written by this author to enjoy!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Death of parent, Cancer, and Abandonment

Moderate: Abortion, Vomit, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Murder, Torture, Dysphoria, Suicide, Dementia, Outing, Drug use, and Alcoholism

Minor: Pedophilia, Incest, Slavery, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Sexism, and Cultural appropriation

philosophicellie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

I really liked how this book spun together the mythology, family history and personal narratives of the main characters. It showed that lives are complex and our understandings of what is happening is shaped by our stories. 

There is a lot that is difficult to read (see content warnings) but this is not used gratuitously, and finishes in a positive but not perfect way. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Colonisation, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, and Abortion