Reviews tagging 'Death'

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

69 reviews

starccato's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

kilic's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia

inamerata's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia

Minor: Racism

mitone_winona's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense 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

5.0

Before going into how fantastic the author, Zen Cho, did an amazing job doing magical realism during modern times, I praise the author for perfectly capturing family dynamics and how family REALLY is. The story is through the eyes of Jess as she deals with leaving America to go back home to Malaysia as well as the heaviness of wanting to help her parents as well as keeping her girlfriend secret from her family. Not only is Jess dealing with problems stewing in herself, she is also being possessed by the ghost of her grandmother, Ah Ma. Ah Ma has unfinished business of her own and has chosen Jess to carry out her plans so she can finally pass on and be at rest.

Throughout the story, Ah Ma and Jess bicker continuously and Ah Ma doesn't always give a straight answer to Jess instead giving the infamous "Because I told you so" to Jess in response to questions about why in the world does Jess of all people have to deal with gods and gangs and family matters for her grandmother.

While the mentioning of being possessed by a ghost grandmother, dealing with gods and gangs and the consequences of gentrification will throw a viewer in a loop, I promise the author tells the story beautifully and all of it makes sense and this book never has a slow moment.

Jess is a character trying not to be suffocated under the weight of the world, she is a fighter to the bone and that will make you cheer on for her. She is straight forward, smart, and heart breakingly real that you'll feel as if you want to back up Jess' throughout her journey in investigating what is going on, how to make her grandmother leave immediately, and who is Black Water Sister.

For those that like stories dealing with magical realism as well as action and family matters, I encourage you to read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Xenophobia

Moderate: Cursing and Blood

Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Concerning the Sexual Harassment warning; There is a scene near the last 5 or 4 chapters of the book where an attempt is made towards Jess but nothing further happens concerning sexual assault.

peachani's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Violence, Blood, Outing, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Medical content, Death of parent, and Abandonment

hanz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Cancer

nullandvoidlibrary's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia

mandkips's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Homophobia, and Sexual assault

sageleafpark's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Violence

melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

I enjoyed this book a lot! I loved Jess as a main character and seeing everything she goes through with ghosts, her family, moving, and what turns into a very complicated story.  I thought this was really good and I enjoyed the read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping