Reviews tagging 'Death'

Sarmaşık by Chana Porter

52 reviews

basementeyes's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

So incredibly written, so insightful. I nearly cried at the end which is not an easy feat with me! Loved it loved it loved it. It hit me in all the right spots. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

radtj's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

egg_apologist's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.5

Despite what the story's premise might lead you to believe, this story is, strangely, less about alien invasions and more so a very lovely story about life and death and grief and learning how to heal from grief. The narrative does hit you over the head over and over again with its messaging (it’s about as subtle in getting its point across as a cartoon sledgehammer whacking a character over the head), but it’s beautifully written nonetheless. Not to mention this is a super quick read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Drug use

Minor: Body horror and Transphobia

maryellen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Death and Drug use

sinslashcos's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Cultural appropriation

inkspitter's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring sad 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? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Minor: Death

jemmers's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing 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

this book captures how it feels to be human, the good and the bad. this book feels like a warm hug

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Grief

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.5

'The Seep' by Chana Porter is a deeply human story about a woman dealing with loss and an alien invasion. 
When the Seep first arrives, humanity is terrified by its alien presence but the Seep seeks to calm humanity's fears and problems. This includes allowing humanity to transform beyond its expectations and take on new forms. Trina finds that the possibilities of the Seep do not solve her own search for meaning and experience but she is still enjoying life with her wife, Deeba. But then Deeba throws her life into turmoil when she informs Trina that she wants to revert back into a baby and lead a completely new life. Reeling from loss and seeking meaning, Trina will have to venture out to discover what she values and where she wants to go next in her life. 
Porter has created such a deeply human story told with a sci-fi flair. This is a deeply strange book as the things that the Seep allows humanity to do makes the world far more surrealist than I was expecting. But at its core, it is a story about grief, loss, and what we do with our life. There are a number of incredible quotes and a deeply human core. It's hard to explain but I highly recommend it as long as you are open to a little (or a lot of) weirdness. I will definitely be picking up more books by Porter as she clearly has a way with storytelling and tapping into emotions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Transphobia

anaheeta's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

If I had a penny for every time I read a book that was a metaphor for grief (of a loved one) in the past few months, I’d have two pennies, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Racism, Suicide, Transphobia, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

buttercat42's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Grief, and Abandonment