Reviews tagging 'Grief'

New Waves by Kevin Nguyen

5 reviews

readingwithkt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

Somehow managed to race through this book, devouring it in less than 24 hours. Feel this book spoke to me at a very particular time in my life, and thus I feel I picked it up at a perfect time. 

It’s both an exploration of technology - the way we use it in our lives, the way it’s designed to use us - and a portrait of a friendship/love lost - of how it is to go on when there’s a gaping hole in our lives, about how humans can try to fill such holes by whatever means necessary (alcohol, sexual relationships, overworking).

The flaws of the characters, of technology, of our modern lives, are truly the centre point of this book. 

I don’t know what else to say, I low key loved this one and I’m sure it’s gonna leave me with lots of thoughts for a little while to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Car accident

Minor: Hate crime, Suicide, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and War

shay43geek's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Car accident

thenovelmaura's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

I'd like to say something profound about this book, but it was so entirely forgettable that I hardly know what points to bring up. I can see it appealing to fans of literary fiction; since I don't fall into that category I found it rather slow and uneventful. While I appreciated the commentary on tech companies and startups (given that I work in the tech industry and was previously at a startup), the borderline-satirical tone of this commentary didn't really mesh with the rest of the book. It is clear that Nguyen has experience in the tech world and his insights into being a minority in the industry are sadly accurate. A pointed and introspective read, but it just didn't work for me and I can't say with certainty what would have improved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Death and Grief

cassandrapaige's review against another edition

reflective slow-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

3.5

I enjoyed this book mostly because of the questions it raised about the role tech plays in our lives and the ways technology can be biased. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Racism, Grief, and Alcohol

kelleywithanextrae's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Infidelity