Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

62 reviews

peytonktracy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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 is about story telling and rivers. And it truly does feel like you are being told a story, from the minute you start, it feels like you just curl up to listen. And just like when you are being told a story, sometimes it meanders like a river does and you might wonder where it’s headed or why it curves like this, but you always find where it’s going. And the ending is so immensely satisfying in every way. I loved the characters and how well developed they all were, I loved exploring their reactions to several key plot elements over time, and seeing how their stories connected and blended and diverged and moved. This was absolutely masterful and I loved it to pieces.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

This book centers around multiple parents and their relationships to children and the losses or changes in those relationships - it is truly what this hinged upon. Several sets of parents lose a children in several of the narratives, so that’s my big warning. Everything else is in passing in the narratives and not at the focus and very rarely described in great detail.

jasmijn's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and Terminal illness

Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

evanslikestoread's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, and Racism

Minor: Rape

izzybell's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

remusritch's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

3.5

I did enjoy this but I don't think I'll read it again. I didn't really get very attached to any of the characters since there were so many with the exception of Daunt. I also think the book could have been condensed, but it did make sense with the pacing. The book was beautifully written, though, I just don't think I'd pick it up again or go out of my way to read more by the author

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Rape

Moderate: Child abuse

shannonsnell's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Sexual assault

stella323's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death

binayocheved's review against another edition

mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.0

3 stars because, while the story was lovely & as gentle as flowing water, really delightful, it’s the twenty-first century & we’ve really got to stop using “gy****s”. it’s historical fiction; that doesn’t mean we have to let the mores & bigotry of history infect our own stories. thank. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Racial slurs

emeraldcityreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping

Minor: Rape

ebgat's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Rape