Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Yield by Tara June Winch

3 reviews

colormecaro's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? No

4.75

At first (and the only reason this isn’t 5 stars), it took me a bit to get in a reading flow because of the changing viewpoints the book is told from (a dictionary, an old letter and the main character) but at some point I just started devouring this book. 

As someone who is interested in language and the effects it has on how people think and see the world, I loved this book. As a speaker of different languages (although the languages I speak are nowhere near as complex and full of meaning as many an indigenous language), I appreciated the way in which this book  illustrates how words can’t simply be translated. They hold a whole other dimension which is shown in the dictionary  chapters of the book. By losing indigenous languages we lose all the knowledge they hold. 

Apart from the language aspects, learning more about a culture that has seen the cruelest hardships feels very important. When I was 4 years old, I became fascinated with Australia (mostly its animal world) and as a 6 year old read the stories of the Dreaming (aboriginal origin stories). I was probably too young to reckon with the dark past of Australia, but this feels like a full circle moment. It all ties into my current interests and feelings about the world. I am on a mission to read more indigenous literature from around the world and this was a prime example of my why.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content, and Police brutality

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

belindapancake's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Genocide, Hate crime, Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation

bobbijopmh's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

A moving story of finding home, connection and country. 

It's a really captivating plot and is written across multiple perspectives and timelines. At first, I found this a little jarring, switching between modern-day August & the 1900s; but the perspective switching really adds to the pacing of the story and sort of helps to gradually feed the reader the right emotions and information at the right points in the main narrative.

This book deals with some painful themes, but Tara June Winch's writing is beautiful and emotive. I'd definitely classify this as an #OwnVoices read, and I really loved the inclusion of Wiradjuri language as central to the book. I also really enjoyed the connection to the land and the environment that was so central to the plot. 

The only, singular reason this was not a five-star book for me was the way it ends. I would have liked it to go on just a little longer, but I loved it regardless.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Genocide, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder