Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

92 reviews

kicakes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

3.75

Very good at describing life in a household with a child/sibling who has significant developmental issues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

siobhanward's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

3.0

Like with Kim's <i> Happiness Falls </i>, this book had a solid premise but the execution left me wanting more. I think in this case, Kim spent so much time explaining things (Mia's footnotes, the happiness quotient project), that the book felt bogged down. I wish there had been more time in the actual action and less on unnecessary detail. I get why things were included, I just don't think they added as much to the plot as they were intended to. I still appreciate Kim as a writer, since her ideas feel really unique, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and War

jackbifrost's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer and Racism

Minor: Suicide

rushell070's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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

4.5

I really disliked the narrator at the very beginning, but as the story progresses and the character develops, she becomes much more relateable and likeable.

This book got a rating if 4.5 instead of 5 from me because

while I normally enjoy books with open ended plots and a few unanswered questions, for some reason the lack of complete resolution killed me with this one! Why didn't Mia ask her family more direct questions? Did she or didn't she press zero when trying to unlock her dad's  phone? Why didn’t she want to know the truth??

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Grief, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Cancer, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

juliannecridlin's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Rape

lpdx's review against another edition

emotional relaxing medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Blood

jkeenereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Read based on recommendation from SIL.  
I found the subject disturbing but important to address, the ending anticlimactic, and the cursing heavier than I usually read.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Death of parent and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Rape

greatestheights's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I'm mad at past me for putting this masterpiece off for so long. HAPPINESS FALLS is one of the best books I've read in a long time (and I've read a lot of good books recently). The writing, characterization, voice, and sheer amount of passion poured into this work are phenomenal. I was gripped from the first scene until the last, simultaneously full of rage and heartbreak and gut-wrenching empathy for this family, and especially, Eugene.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Grief, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Cancer

amachonis's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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: Ableism and Death of parent

Moderate: Bullying, Racism, Suicide, Police brutality, and Grief

Minor: Terminal illness

fancyjess_party's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious 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? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic