Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Bellies by Nicola Dinan

49 reviews

atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition

4.0

emotional 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

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At first, this book felt slow and I had to push myself to keep reading. But as the story went on, and we learned more about the characters, I got invested and wanted to keep reading. In some ways this is a slow story but there are parts that felt like a faster pace. I enjoyed getting to know Tom and Ming as individuals, and their story together too.

This book kind of reminded me of Wild Geese by Soula Emmanuel, except that story's timeline is much more condensed than this story was. Such a tender queer story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Grief

Moderate: Eating disorder, Car accident, Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic

stalbergwrites's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Transphobia, Death of parent

moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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There was a lot that I liked about this. I love a good character-focused lit fic with a bit of mess, and I felt like this brought life to very particular feelings in a pointed and beautiful way. However, there were some scenes that just went way too in the weeds for my taste, like long descriptions of eating (which did work well in some scenes -- but others, not so much) or awkward small-talk dialog. So a little bit of a mixed bag, but I did end up liking it overall. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol

Moderate: Toxic relationship

aviewavie's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Grief, Dysphoria

Moderate: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Sexual assault, Pandemic/Epidemic

poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

3.5

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I had a hard time staying focused on this book. It's not a bad book but I don't consider it one of the best things I've ever read. I did not feel invested or interested in Tom and Ming's relationship and breakup. I felt indifferent towards the side characters except Rob, who I've headcanoned as aromantic, but he gets hit by a car and dies. His death leads Ming and Tom to reunite and come to a reconciliation. I'm so annoyed that Rob dies. There was a missed opportunity for him to figure put that he's aromantic and then Tom could have decided that he's fine with being single. But anyway this book is fine. I did like it but I don't see myself ever rereading it or reading anything else by Nicola Dinan.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Moderate: Transphobia

Minor: Car accident, Death of parent

ccerpa's review against another edition

3.75

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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what an incredibly triggering experience to end 2024 on!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Alcohol, Dysphoria

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Classism

san_dra's review against another edition

4.75

emotional funny reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Outing, Gaslighting

Minor: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

kers_tin's review against another edition

4.75

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Racism, Transphobia, Pandemic/Epidemic

adampjt's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Death, Death of parent

Minor: Transphobia, Car accident

emily_schlegel's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Eating disorder, Transphobia, Death of parent