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A review by lucy_junor
The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“We find ourselves in loss and we are who we are - vulnerable beings, like stripped starling chicks that fall naked from their nests and hope they’ll be picked up again.”
A truly heart-wrenching portrayal of death and grief through the eyes of a child. While many parts of this book made me very uncomfortable I also found something very relatable and honest in Jas’ rationalisation of what was happening to her family, as well as her desire to single-handedly fix her parents relationship and become one with her siblings again.
I also sympathised with Jas’ need to find justification in what’s happening to her as she grows up and adapts to the ever changing dynamics in her family and community - I think that’s something everyone can understand at a personal level in one way or another.
This novel does a beautiful job at showing how our relationship with grief is not linear but rather something that follows us throughout our lives like a shadow, effecting everything we think, do, and become.
A truly heart-wrenching portrayal of death and grief through the eyes of a child. While many parts of this book made me very uncomfortable I also found something very relatable and honest in Jas’ rationalisation of what was happening to her family, as well as her desire to single-handedly fix her parents relationship and become one with her siblings again.
I also sympathised with Jas’ need to find justification in what’s happening to her as she grows up and adapts to the ever changing dynamics in her family and community - I think that’s something everyone can understand at a personal level in one way or another.
This novel does a beautiful job at showing how our relationship with grief is not linear but rather something that follows us throughout our lives like a shadow, effecting everything we think, do, and become.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Incest, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Violence, Mental illness, and Self harm