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debbie74's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, Abortion, Blood, Bullying, Death, Murder, and Pregnancy
qqjj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Abortion, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Body horror, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Torture, War, Gaslighting, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
sara_n's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, Suicide attempt, Grief, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Drug abuse, War, Addiction, Drug use, Alcoholism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Police brutality, Eating disorder, Bullying, Cancer, and Pedophilia
eliicapss's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Cancer, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Rape, Drug abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Suicide
shelleyanderson4127's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
The story begins with great grandmother Stasia, born in Tsarist Georgia. Her son Kostya battles the German invasion of Leningrad while daughter Kitty flees to the West. Stasia's beautiful sister marries a rich Party official, while grand daughter continues the family legacy of rebellion. The tumultuous history of both Georgia and Russia weave in and out of this family saga. Translated by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin, this prize-winner novel is a real page turner. The story will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended.
Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Colonisation, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, and Domestic abuse
ssreadsintranslation's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Suicide
Minor: Abortion, Cancer, Drug use, Drug abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Infertility, Misogyny, Outing, and Ableism
sherbertwells's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
“Despite my years of struggling both for and with this country, I have not managed to replace it, to drive it out of me like an evil spirit that beset me. No ritual purification, no repression mechanism has yet been of any assistance. Because everywhere I went, travelling further and further from my country, I was searching for the squandered, scattered, wasted, unused love I’d left behind” (10)
“For Daria and me, the Soviet Union meant: constant funeral marches and processions as aged gentlemen of the Communist Party were carried to their graves; carnations everywhere, macabre spectacles broadcast on all the television channels. For us, the Soviet Union meant: endless summer camps, Pioneer neckerchiefs. Tea plantations, apiaries, and kolkoɀes. White knee-socks from China, tapestries of hunting scenes on the walls, Mishka Na Severe chocolates, and Lagidze’s tarragon lemonade. Our grandfather’s GAZ-13, the brightly coloured blocks of Plasticine with the frog on them, yellow Krya-Krya children’s shampoo, Grandfather’s Start shaving cream, the talcum powder in the bathroom cabinet with the cat’s head on the pot, which we weren’t allowed to use. Hygiene body lotion and Stasia’s Red Moscow perfume, which smelled of old people and was enough to give you a headache. The odorless brown bath-soap that was actually called ‘Bath Soap’” (631)
“Live through all wars. Cross all borders. To you I dedicate all gods and all rosaries, all burnings, all decapitated hopes, all stories. Break through them. Because you have the means to do it, Brilka. The eight—remember it. All of us will always be interwoven in this number and will always be able to listen to each other, down through the centuries” (6)
Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Torture, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Mass/school shootings, and Gun violence
Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Infertility, Homophobia, Cancer, and Child abuse
Minor: Antisemitism, Fatphobia, and Cannibalism
tabitha_isabelle's review against another edition
1.5
One more thing (that hardly needs saying) a book focusing on a family in the Soviet Union in the 20th century does not need an additional something that brings people misfortune or bad luck - terrible things were happening anyway! The magical hot chocolate was redundant.
On the whole a dissatisfying read.
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence