Scan barcode
tamara_joy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gun violence, Animal death, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Blood, and Death of parent
bessmonet's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Grief, Violence, Mental illness, Death, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Cannibalism and Drug abuse
timothyotte's review
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Cancer
Moderate: Child abuse, Animal death, and Cancer
brewingespresso's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse
forthesanityof1's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was enamored with this book from the title and beautiful cover art alone. It's honestly arresting and I think it connects with the story of The Crane Husband very, very well. This is a story about generational trauma through the lens of a hard-working Midwest farming family fighting for survival. It is based on traditional Japanese folklore (The Crane Wife) looking at themes of love, sacrifice, suffering, and the associated moral cost. Both male and female aspects of this family have engaged in repeating a cycle of abuse and being subjected to poverty at times. The narrator of this novella is 15 year old girl (a strength of Barnhill as a writer) who's mother is an artist in the thrall of a crane.
Compared to the folklore, Barnhill's narrative is as atmospheric as it is disturbing at times. For me, the discomfort was an integral part of the reading experience. To me, the crane is intentionally flat as a character because of the lens of our narrator based on her background and her age. I think this works well within the story and brings in an interesting and human horror element around domestic violence and the people who suffer tangentially related to the main victim of domestic violence. We see how the cycle is going to play out and how the narrator works to subvert and break it. I think success looks very different for people, and the lack of an outright victory and happy ending is perhaps the most heartbreaking but most real aspect of this book. I loved how Barnhill centered the narrator on her upbringing in moments and her descriptors of the crane and things going on around her. Especially at the end, Barnhill was able to really show her characters without laboriously telling us as the readers that X is doing Y.
Overall, I really, really enjoyed this. I would definitely recommend it if literary fiction, trauma, resilience, and love are for you.
Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Grief, Abandonment, and Animal death
marywahlmeierbracciano's review
5.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Blood
Minor: Terminal illness, Gun violence, and Murder