Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

41 reviews

january_one's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

Gave me a lot of anxiety but well written

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Addiction, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Self harm, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Cancer, Colonisation, and Alcoholism

pomoevareads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Author Tommy Orange of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people has written a prequel and sequel in one to his breakout novel, There There. Wandering Stars begins in 1864 at the Sand Creek Massacre and follows a character through several generations to the present day. Many of us know about the institutionalization of Indigenous Peoples in schools but Orange also shares in his story about a prison castle in Florida that was a seed for the future schools. He writes about intergenerational trauma, familial love and addiction. In the present day, we see how Orvil is doing after the events at the powwow in There There. 

Readers will find Wandering Stars an easier read in that it was easier to keep track of the characters. There is a lineage chart at the beginning of the book and we stay with a small group of characters at a time. 

I found myself deeply engaged throughout the novel and want an Opal in my life. My only reason for not giving this book five stars was for a possible dropped opportunity from one scene. A hint to those who have read it is what lies next to a typewriter many years ago. That said I have just learned that Orange is already signed to write his next book. I don’t know if it will be connected to these books but will read it nonetheless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Self harm, Addiction, and War

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Gun violence, Car accident, and Sexual assault

antidietleah's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Self harm

Minor: Genocide

tdesy20's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse

Moderate: Self harm, Drug use, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Rape, Death of parent, and Death

ecn's review against another edition

4.5

So so good, excellent mesh of prequel and sequel, and an absolute KNOCK out ending

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Medical content, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Racism, Mental illness, War, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Slavery, Murder, Cancer, Violence, Genocide, Drug use, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Torture, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Grief, Death, Colonisation, Blood, Self harm, Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Car accident, and Gun violence

serena_storybook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

I liked Wandering Stars more than There There and appreciated the

closure and healing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Genocide, Grief, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, and Abandonment

kimmykelly's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Drug abuse, Genocide, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Addiction, Bullying, Drug use, Deadnaming, Abandonment, Self harm, and Violence

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Racism, Death, Addiction, Drug use, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Mental illness, Grief, Child abuse, Colonisation, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Animal death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Ableism, Cancer, War, and Alcohol

Minor: Slavery, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Cultural appropriation, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Car accident, Pandemic/Epidemic, Ableism, Sexual assault, Bullying, Transphobia, Vomit, Body shaming, Rape, Racial slurs, Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Dementia, Misogyny, Excrement, and Abandonment

emelynreads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

I read There, There right before cracking Wandering Stars open. This book focuses heavily on addiction much more than There, There. You still get the author's amazing prose and unique style of writing inner dialogue. 

I'm not sure what the purpose of having one nonbinary character was when it's only brought up twice and not for development. This was a turn off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Blood, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Self harm

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal death

dingokitty14's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Addiction

Moderate: Genocide