Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

9 reviews

sproutedpages's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Blood

karcitis's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and War

jessthanthree's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Cannibalism, and Colonisation

morimyths's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Violence, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Genocide, Homophobia, Incest, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring reflective

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Incest and Suicidal thoughts

Incest warning is just in case, for the ambiguity of certain relationships.

librarianmage's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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

I ache for more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Slavery and War

Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia

poirot's review against another edition

reflective 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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and War

caseythereader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective 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

3.5

 - THE GILDA STORIES is an expansive, meditative exploration of found family, womanhood, and Blackness told through the story of Gilda, a young Black lesbian vampire, as she lives through the centuries.
- It took me a bit to get into this story, as I often find older novels keep the characters at a bit of a remove for my tastes. But once I got a handle on it, I was invested in Gilda and her search for a place and people to belong with.
- It reminded me quite a bit of Octavia E. Butler's work, not just for the vampire parallels to FLEDGLING, but also for the considerations of complex relationships and families as characters navigate new situations and realities. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

toopunkrockforshul's review

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was a very interesting take on the vampire genre, and had some very interesting commentary and implications. I loved the structure of Gilda's life throughout the decades and was suprised that it ended up being quite speculative in the end. The writing style didn't grab me as much as other books have but the story was very engaging the focus on humanity and sharing life with others was very poignant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Vomit