Reviews tagging 'Grief'

A Tiny Upward Shove by Melissa Chadburn

3 reviews

ceilidh_ashcroft's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, and Classism

ka_cam's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

This is a heavy, dark, deeply sad read. The primary voice of the Aswang (/marina) was compelling and added a poignancy and semi-remove maybe ubique to the semi-first-semi-third person (if there’s a word for that I don’t know it). The love and attempts and love and care throughout really come through. I also personally liked how the title came through. I think the info abt the murderer was much less complex for the amount of time spent on it, though I realize she was working off a real person model there. There is some really tough explicit content here, so please mind the content warnings.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Medical content, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, and Dysphoria

Additional content warnings: child welfare systems, group homes, explicit descriptions of rape of a child and other child sexual and physical abuse, explicit descriptions of sex in the context of sex work

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-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

4.5

An absolute gut punch of a novel. It takes fifty or so pages to find its footing, but once it does, it hits hard and hits deeply -- and to that point, I think it deserves a far wider readership than it's currently earned. Let Chadburn's writing serve as a sobering reminder (and call to rage/action) that we continue to neglect women and children with intention. Will be thinking of this one for days. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Violence, and Alcohol