A review by emptychurches
The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I always enjoy books that have an adolescent protagonist that manage to preserve the weirdness of the mind of a child/teenager. The recall of stories that they are told being taken as truth, the value systems and their place in the world, and interactions with their siblings and peers. I really struggle with this type of books where the narration is through a lens of omnipotence. Kids are messy. Growing up is dark sometimes. This book really nailed that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, and Suicide

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Eating disorder, Excrement, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Self harm

Minor: Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Vomit