Reviews tagging 'Death'

Bodies of Light: Winner of the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award by Jennifer Down

11 reviews

ameliasbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

If you liked A Little Life or are interested in these kind of books, this is a book for you. Don't get me wrong, this is only a story dealing with similar topics, but the main protagonist is dealing with it in a very different way. This is a story about foster care, abuse, trauma, but also about resilience, about survival, about trying to have a live. The main protagnist is such an interesting character and portrayed really well. 
It is a tough book, but so worth reading and it deserves much more attention. I already can hear people shouting 'trauma porn' and I am happy for these people to be living a life, in which only once in a while bad things are happening or none really that bad at all, but I can only wish that they are able to live protected in that bubble for good. Because out there are people who have to suffer through a lot.
My only criticism about this book is a familiar one: it is a bit too long and the ending is a bit rushed and somhow neat. Authors seem to be able to create interesting stories and to be weaving in a lot of ideas and details, but often don't really know how to wrap everything up with the same intensity and plausibility.
Nonetheless is this a hot candidate for one of my books of the year. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Vomit, Child abuse, Blood, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, and Self harm

carlytenille's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Abandonment, Addiction, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, and Rape

lumakip's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

So well crafted, this very emotionally wrought book by Jennifer Down is a fictional account of a single person's life... the book journals through the pain and suffering of child abuse inside the Australian foster care system and subsequent harrowing life of losing children to SIDS at an early age …this book goes thru some things in very earnest and raw ways that its impossible to not be sucked into emotion...this is not a fun read, but its very honest, shocking, and gorgeous in its painful sentences   

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Drug use, Death, and Child death

jaybonesjackson's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Brilliant - a worthy Miles Franklin winner. This book was tragic, sometimes hopeful, but then tragic  again and I felt myself rooting for the main character the whole time, hoping she’d catch a break. I felt everything she felt so deeply and was utterly drawn in. The way the author alludes to something upcoming, then takes us back to the present, was titillating. I will think about her story for years to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Child abuse, Rape, Drug use, and Grief

gemmagetson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Child death, Rape, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Pedophilia, Grief, Drug use, Death, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

caitlinokeeffewhite's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse

smedette's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

balfies's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

4.0

It's been said before but good grief. This is an excellent book with truly gut wrenching, revealing prose, and it is also deeply, deeply sad. Incredibly bleak and richly emotive story about the trauma of the foster system and how state violence fails women and children. If you're thinking of reading this one, have a fun book lined up afterwards, and know that it hits every trigger warning under the sun. But I must emphasise: this was very deserving of the Miles Franklin, and is an incredible piece of literature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Violence

narpetcards's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

Minor: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Abortion, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

sezzler's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child death, Grief, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Pedophilia