Reviews tagging 'Death'

Woman of Light: A Novel by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

33 reviews

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective 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? Yes

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

I read the audiobook and if that's accessible to you, I highly recommend that format. I was fully engrossed in this multi-generational tale of an indigenous Chicano family in the West from the 1800s to the 1930s. I am not typically pulled towards historical fiction, but I think me loving this is a testament to someone adoring this who is not a huuuuge historical fiction reader!

This book explored so much, and mostly focused on Luz, who lives in Denver, and like most of the women in her family, has the gift of sight/clairvoyance. She works as a tea reader and seamstress, and I thought the illustration of the racism, sexism and misogyny she experienced was done mindfully. I loved the magical realism elements of this for their family. I appreciated the exploration of what it means to be family, how community helps you through hard times, and though there was so much pain and loss, I felt the story ultimately left me hopeful because of the family/community narratives.

a content warning expanded/explained: KKK presence in Denver 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

ajdenson's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring 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? No

5.0

Like a sip of warm cinnamon tea while looking out at a mountainside blurry from distance 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

rachelle_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.75

This book brought me to a place and time I did not know well, and the author did an amazing job of evoking the setting. Luz and all of her family grew on me, and I found myself wishing the best for all of them, despite all the challenging forces in their world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Death of parent

kcbatts's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy

jordynkw's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

mdavis26's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

ashp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

An exquisite story that is wrenching as it is tender. Luz is a phenomenal character, given her age as well. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder

imds's review against another edition

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

bebidocrimes's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

You can tell how much the writer cares for the land, in any timeline, by how much beauty and love is in the descriptions. It makes the mining throughout feel more heartbreaking and maybe not worth the risks it put people in. Most of my issues with the main character can be excused by her being 17. She's indecisive and unfocused, and doesn't seem to have a very strong presence. I liked seeing her through other characters' eyes, it showed more personality. All the other characters are well developed and I understood where they fit in their own stories. Especially Lizette. Luz and Diego have some childhood development, but most other children are treated as a silent backdrop. Sara and Marie Josie are described in contrast to one another, sure, but they don't really get personalities until they're 15. I love seeing how Luz and Diego mirror Sara and Marie Josie as siblings, how their decisions affect which way their lives lead. Shout-out to the crime fighting rattlesnake.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, and Police brutality

Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment