Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown

42 reviews

bri_i's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

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Very much appreciate the research and time that went into writing this book. Unfortunate that almost everyone in the 1800’s shared the same 5 names of Margaret, Nancy, Sarah, John, and William, it made it a bit tough at times to remember who was who. 

The author does a great job in making you to feel the sheer helplessness of the situation. What an awful tale, really sickening to imagine the decisions these poor people had to make, especially with small children. This was an interesting, compassionate, and horrific book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Colonisation

simulatethis's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

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Harrowing, indeed. I had no idea how much I didn’t know about the Donner party. Not the best topic for cocktail parties, one would think... but one would be surprised. It's good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Cannibalism

Moderate: Racism

maygoon's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Abandonment

katie0528's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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A heartbreaking retelling of the Donner Party's ill-fated journey across the western United States. It follows mostly in the steps of Sarah Graves, a young recently married woman who traveled with her family and new husband, eventually meeting up with the Donner and Reed families, and joining them on their doomed "shortcut" through Hasting's cutoff. Brown never minces words about the horrors the pioneers suffered, but often puts himself in their shoes, offering empathy and speculation about the mental agonies they must have endured.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation

Minor: War

atyp3's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous dark informative sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Sexual content

emmasalandra's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder

gcwolf98's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

Content is put in a very informative way. I appreciated it was not glorifying the tragedy.

creep_street's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark inspiring tense slow-paced

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This book is equally as deflating and miserable as it is hopeful and inspiring. The content is truly cared for by Brown. This book reminds us that the human will to survive is stronger than our modern fear.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent

Moderate: Racism, War

aemesserlie's review against another edition

5.0

informative reflective sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Cannibalism, Death of parent

Moderate: Violence, Murder

cmbohn's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark informative sad slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment

Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness