Reviews tagging 'Mass/school shootings'

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

14 reviews

karenmariscalo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

 A book about empathy for all things and people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, and Car accident

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Fatphobia, Mass/school shootings, and Alcohol

prettycloud's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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

She had me with the intriguing premise, but this book delivers a nuanced look at mental illness, a thoughtful exploration of grief (both individual and the climate change/post-Trump Weltschmerz), and a celebration of love in all its forms. If I could distill this book into a single idea, it would be the forces that divide us and the ways we can connect in spite of them. This book has a lot of pain and disconnection in it, but it gave me hope that we can all somehow make it out of *gestures vaguely* all of this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Classism

This book has a lot of heavy content but it does not stay in its dark parts long and its overall tone is hopeful. It never lingers on lurid details, and the narrators tend to talk around what's happening/has happened. Both the mother and son are traumatized and both have traumatic interactions with institutions of the state, and she

was sexually assaulted by her stepfather

.

The police violence includes violence at a protest and one of the periods of institutionalization. The institutionalization includes the threat of separation of mother and son.

odyssia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Rape, Self harm, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Physical abuse and Mass/school shootings

gabb_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

Minor: Fatphobia and Mass/school shootings