Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

93 reviews

queenkath32's review against another edition

emotional reflective

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, and Death

adearajean's review

emotional 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? Yes

3.5

A quick read/listen. Parts felt underdeveloped. It focused on the atmosphere/history instead of plot and there were times I wanted more but worth a listen. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Slavery, Grief, and Death

lue_moon's review

5.0

Overall excellent. Better worldbuilding in a short amount of time than the first 150 pages of other fantasy books I have read. Though I wouldn't have minded existing in that world for longer, it's a complete story that makes a strong impact, including beautiful exploration of ancestral/generational/cultural trauma, memory keeping, and how that is processed/stored within bodies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Genocide, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Animal death and Pregnancy

artemis7's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Grief, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Murder

sophia_ryann's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Slavery

Moderate: Colonisation and Grief

Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

bucketsjen's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

The children of pregnant African women thrown overboard by slavers have adapted to the water and built their own society. They appoint one person every generation to be the Historian that holds all of their memories - but the current historian is struggling as the only person holding the awareness of pain and history. She returns the memories and flees, leaving her people to grapple with their history alone as she tries to find herself... but of course, their unprocessed pain effects everything.  

Has themes of cultural, generational, and personal trauma, the pain of being the only one who Knows and Understands, and processing/healing to move forward.  It's REALLY well done. While the subject matter is heavy, it's managed deftly and the book is surprisingly healing to read.

I really recommend the audiobook for this one. Daveed Diggs does an incredible job, and the work's musical history really lends it to auditory retelling.  There's an Afterward by Diggs which was an awesome addition to the story (he's funny and insightful).

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Violence, Self harm, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Death

Animal death, Attempted suicide, Grief, Hallucinations, Slavery (past), Self-harm, Trauma (personal, generational, cultural), violence, references to familial death.

numerous_bees's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Colonisation, Blood, Child death, Slavery, Genocide, Pregnancy, and Animal death

Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury

sproutedpages's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Profound and heartbreaking. Discusses the importance of remembering and passing on a people’s history, and what it means to bear a significant, collective trauma— and more specifically, how that applies to the descendants of the victims of the Trans Atlantic slave trade. A genuinely important piece of modern mythology. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, and Grief

Moderate: Pregnancy

biobeetle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Body horror, Blood, and Colonisation

Moderate: Medical content, War, Suicide attempt, Death, Violence, Pregnancy, and Racism

Minor: Child death

ginalucia's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

 

The Deep is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of history and humanity in a deeply moving way.

I was immediately drawn in by the story's atmosphere - it's incredibly immersive and gripping right from the start. It eases you into its world before taking you on an emotional rollercoaster.

The Deep is a beautifully haunting tale that forces you to confront the harsh realities of slavery while also offering a glimpse of hope for healing and growth.

Throughout the novella, it delves into themes of generational trauma, memory, and the search for belonging, making it a deeply thought-provoking read.

The writing style is dark and lyrical, which I found intense in the best possible way. Despite its shorter length, the story packs a powerful punch. I won’t be forgetting this read.

As a bonus, I highly recommend reading the afterward, as it offers insights into the creation of The Deep.

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Slavery, and Death

Moderate: Pregnancy