Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge

3 reviews

charlie_cheese's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

the grief of figuring out everything too late and the humanity of the other........ great themes in this guy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gore, Self harm, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Body horror, Forced institutionalization, and War

flyawaytruelove's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

It was a light read to me! I was not expecting the change in format; rather than being one solid story, it instead is divided up into short stories that deal with each type of beast. Looking back, I appreciate this format as it helps highlight each type specifically whereas in a typical format, it might be hard to include everyone. 

My favorite type of beast was the Joyous Beasts. I personally thought their lifecycle was the most unique (and maybe a bit horrifying) out of all of them. Heartsick Beasts are a close second. 

I didn't feel like the narrator developed too drastically as the book. There were some points where her behavior felt a bit predictable, but she developed! Maybe as not as I hoped.

Overall, I think it's a good read! It's short and sweet so no harm in trying it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit and War

theatrix's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This was a quick and engrossing and thought-provoking read, but also challenging, both due to the wide range of disturbing themes (there are many, but most are touched on pretty briefly), and due to the style, which doesn't baby you with explanations and trusts you to put pieces together yourself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment