Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

8 reviews

alexiconic's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

i truly can see why it’s a good book. it just wasn’t for me. 

by and large, i did not enjoy reading this book. the twists were underwhelming, and i felt no connection to our main character and narrator. for me, it felt like this was a book too light on plot to be a good action book and too light on character to be a good character study.  it was too light on the science and references to be a non-fiction informed book, but too explicit in its references to be fully narrative. that said, i like the attempt to connect science to human experience. i’m very much about that and i’ve loved this exact combination in the past. it just didn’t work for me in this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

studiomikarts's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I picked up this book after seeing it on a list of fiction for vegans and noting its good reviews. It ended up being exactly the kind of book I wanted, full of compassion for animals, but not blatantly catering to only a vegan readership. This book is for ANYONE who likes good writing, compelling mystery, and bittersweet endings. It's hard to say more, because it's such a well-written book, I don't want to give anything away. Let it suffice to say I absolutely devoured this story and I think you will, too!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, Violence, and Pregnancy

whatsophsreading's review

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Rape, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent

bluedilly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Torture, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Grief

Minor: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

josiegjackson's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

kelseyland's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Oof--a heartbreaker. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, and Medical trauma

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Death of parent

laurxndx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

Minor: Death of parent

angelicathebookworm's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Fowler’s cast of characters is probably my favourite aspect of the novel. The characters are well developed and distinct from each other which made it clear to distinguish between each character while navigating the complex plot and chronology of this literary novel. Rosemary, our narrator, gets you laughing right from the first page and is easy to empathise with even though her experiences are quite unique. Lowell, Rosemary’s older brother, is sweet and it’s very hard not to sympathise with his character and his subsequent actions during the plot. Fern, Rosemary and Lowell’s very special sister, is quite possibly the best. An educational read that sheds light on a very fascinating topic as well as exploring the subject of family and the similarities that all families share. Fowler’s writing style is witty, enlightening, and complex without being too difficult to follow or understand. It’s filled with some great literary and psychological references that made me smile and flooded me with a sense of nostalgia from college days, perfect for those with any prior knowledge of social sciences.

While the characters are very multidimensional they are, at times, quite difficult to relate to because of the uniqueness of some of the specific details of the plot. Fowler’s use of scrambled chronology as opposed to a linear structure does make sense in order to experience the fractured memories of Rosemary’s past, however, it did make it jarring and difficult to follow at times. Overall the choice in structure did take away a little from my ability to analyze the different aspects of this layered novel. In regards to the subject matter, without giving too much away, while it was insightful—and I enjoyed seeing it’s integration into fiction— it did have a tendency to veer towards being preachy. The pacing as well is more on the slower side with the plot is drawn out in places so not the book to pick up if you’re looking for a quick and easy read.

 For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/ 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Confinement