tabitha_isabelle's Reviews (122)

Antiemetic for Homesickness

Romalyn Ante

3.0

The Eighth Life (for Brilka)

Nino Haratischwili

1.5

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A history book masquerading as fiction. Studded throughout with explanatory passages detailing the nuances of the historical period, I felt that this overly ambitious work did not fulfil its promise. I enjoyed the insight it gave me into Georgian history (something I knew very little about), but could not get over the poor quality of the writing. The characterisation was especially weak - incidents seem contrived, whilst decisions lacked believability. At times the characters felt like mere caricatures. The reams of exposition did not help in this regard. 

One more thing (that hardly needs saying) a book focusing on a family in the Soviet Union in the 20th century does not need an additional something that brings people misfortune or bad luck - terrible things were happening anyway! The magical hot chocolate was redundant. 

On the whole a dissatisfying read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

Austin Channing Brown

4.0

Selected Tales

Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm

2.5

Are You There God?, It's Me Ellen

Ellen Coyne

3.0

Raybearer

Jordan Ifueko

4.0

Waitress in Fall: Selected Poems

Kristín Ómarsdóttir, Vala Thorodds

2.0

The Other Bennet Sister

Janice Hadlow

4.0

Our Bodies, Their Battlefields: War Through the Lives of Women

Christina Lamb

4.25

challenging dark emotional informative

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder

Skin Can Hold

Vahni Capildeo

2.75