Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

34 reviews

magdalena_rose's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

heypretty52's review against another edition

emotional funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Of the content warnings listed, all are handled with great care in a way that isn't overtly triggering to readers.

ggreen1379's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Grief

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, and Death of parent

redheadorganist's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Drug abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual content

siobhanward's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

 I feel as though Rowley really hit his stride with The Guncle and now everything he writes will be compared to it. Unfortunately, this one just doesn't hold up. I've found recently that books that rely on me liking and caring about the characters and their relationships are for some reason having all of their development happen off-page, which leaves me feeling like I'm supposed to be caring about a group of people I don't know at all.

Don't get me wrong - the idea of a group of friends hosting living funerals for one another is a great idea, but unfortunately, without much background on any character, the story just didn't have the impact it was supposed to have. I would have loved to have learned more about the group in university and figured out what tied them together and why they cared so much before we dove into the funerals. I think that would have changed this book from ok to great. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

epen's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Loved this. Really lovely celebration of lifelong friendship. realistic about how friendships change with age while optimistic about the ways they can evolve to adapt to changing circumstances. I really felt like I got to know the characters which I liked, and I thought the story was really well-written, excepting a few somewhat cheesy lines. Would definitely recommend

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Alcohol

katiea714's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide

lindsayerin's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, and Grief

cdace8's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

No as good as Guncle but still a beautiful story about love, friendship, loss, grief and hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

hectorc's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

Wonderfully written story, I did not expect to relate to them as much, made me hopeful for my own future and then destroyed me at the end (in a good way). There was one chapter that was wayyyy too long and the final chapter felt a little like prolonging the ending. Loved it tho, 4/5 steven rowley has done it again.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse and Terminal illness