Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

2 reviews

juliloops's review

Go to review page

reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

The only story that has stayed with me since reading this collection is the very first one, "Black-Eyed Women". Perhaps it is because the subject matter articulates something very close to me, or because the daughter's pain echoes my own. The concept of ghosts - the ghosts of others who come back to us, or the ghosts of ourselves that we've left behind - is believable in its reverence. The way in which the daughter gradually comes to believe in the ghosts of the past is an example of a truly powerful parallel narrative, in which she lets her brother go and also begins to see the ghost of her younger self that was left, burning and breaking, behind on the boat out on the unforgiving open sea.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

friendlypoet's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings