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booksillremember's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Eating disorder
rei_reads's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
funnypeaches's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Pearl was the last title I read from the 2023 Booker Prize longlist, and what a lovely way to cap things off!
This book is a short but impactful look at grief, motherhood (and mothering in the absence of a mother), mental illness, and the lasting effects of all three. Hughes is a poet, and it shows. She took her whole life to write this book — in many different forms, many different times, until she found the heart of it all — and that shows, too. She’s also said the idea for the book started with a writing exercise in which she wrote about a particularly quirky house along her commute, which evolved into the house that made it into the final version of the book. That book, almost a character in itself, was one of my favorite parts. I also quite liked the ending!
That said, it’s not perfect — while everyone at book club agreed that we liked it, we also agreed that the details slipped right out of our brains like water as soon as we finished reading it. I also wasn’t a big fan of the way the book started in the present day and then permanently switched to the past — I expected it to go back and forth between the timelines. I think that choice slowed some of the book’s momentum, but that’s a relatively minor complaint.
If you are looking for a short but beautifully written little Irish novel, this one is for you.
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide
carriepond's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
“Sometimes I think I have lived my life as an observer, saving all the best bits for her by looking very carefully and trying to remember the details she would have liked.”
Pearl was longlisted for the Booker, and I can see why. It is a beautiful novel-- the writing is magnificent and it is a truly compelling exploration of a child's grief for their parent. I loved this novel to the very last page.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder and Death of parent
kodi_rae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
a_little_teacup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Death of parent
laurenlou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death of parent
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
notthatcosta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I would give this 5* but the quality dipped so much in chapters 11-13 that it almost ruined the book for me. I guess I just find bratty, angsty teenagers insufferable in any and every form and context.
Overall, one of the most impactful novels I've read in recent memory, and to know that the story was very much informed by Sian Hughes' own experiences and childhood makes it even more special.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Pregnancy