mmccombs's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A stunning novel! I really loved everything about this, the characters were well-crafted, the setting adding so much to the propulsive plot, and beautifully layered themes. This almost felt like reading a classic tragedy, misunderstandings and fate and family ties clashing into an ending you can see coming, but can never prepare for. It’s a pretty timeless, universal story about privilege and religion and hatred, and the writing is just beautiful to read (if sometimes a little over the top). I will say I felt a bit overwhelmed by the amount of gruesome animal deaths throughout the book, I do think they made sense for the story being told, but if you feel sensitive to that (among other content warnings I’ll include in my review), you might want to skip this one.
This was kind of unexpected because I read it on a whim without knowing anything about it, but I think this could become a favorite of all time.
This was kind of unexpected because I read it on a whim without knowing anything about it, but I think this could become a favorite of all time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Grief, Violence, Child death, Animal death, Sexual assault, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity and Rape
bravesirtoaster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mariapasch's review against another edition
4.0
“Dismantled and discarded by all the lives he wanted to live, tried to live. Nowhere left to go now but down, down, downstream.”
Hungry Ghosts
Kevin Jared Hosein
Angry, hungry, full of earth and raw humanity. A very nice book and a potential contender for the 2023 Booker Prize Longlist.
Hungry Ghosts
Kevin Jared Hosein
Angry, hungry, full of earth and raw humanity. A very nice book and a potential contender for the 2023 Booker Prize Longlist.
melliedm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- 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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Cursing, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Excrement, Bullying, Child death, Grief, Infidelity, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Gore, Medical content, Misogyny, Abandonment, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Classism
internationalreads's review against another edition
Not one but two gruesome deaths of dogs in the earliest pages. I was not going to keep reading to number three.
ahinks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
itchyfeetreader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
chlochart's review against another edition
This book is well written, but there’s too much upsetting content for me to be able to push through and finish. I skimmed ahead because I had a feeling I knew what was coming. So when my suspicions were confirmed I decided I need to stop reading.
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
More violent than I'd expected and not in the mood to read the.