Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

4 reviews

novella42's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

What a brilliant execution of a truly fascinating concept. 

I got lost partway through and had a hard time returning to it. My God, I am so glad I did. By 2/3 of the way through I couldn't put it down. The metaphors alone... Just. Wow. I couldn't figure out why a friend of mine gave it five stars, why another friend was singing its praises. By the end? Yeah. I get it now.

I can't tell how spoilery this is. CW for mental health and spoilers through maybe the first half of the book?

It's not exactly how my own dissociation works, but it's damn near as close as any depiction of dissociation as a mental health survival skill as anything I've ever seen. How it feels to forget. How it feels to remember when you've forgotten something vitally important because it hurts so much. How it feels to willingly return to the unknowing. How it feels when it all falls apart.

I'm a little in awe. I definitely want to read this again.

Also, here's a tip I will second from a person commenting on the book in the Austin Public Library system: "After you read it, make sure you listen to the March 2017 Hopeless Romantic podcast episode where Chant and editor Amanda Jean recorded their thoughts at various stages of the writing and editing process for this book. Fascinating peek behind the scenes." Apparently Austin Chant co-hosts a podcast?! Yes, please! (Episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1b1Uz904rbNC0xeOPVuXJ4?si=Wnt96ik8Sd2dGVPgchTtZg)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, Blood, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Animal death

callidoralblack's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Deadnaming, Gore, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

bashsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Gosh, this book was so good. It was a little slow to start, but once it picked up, I couldn't put it down. Satisfying enemies-to-lovers arc, incredibly fascinating take on Neverland and the fairies, and a thoughtful exploration of non-accepting family. My only gripe is that it was so short, I felt like this concept had so much more room to grow. That isn't to say the story doesn't feel finished, but it does feel kind of rushed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexual content

Minor: Gun violence and War

oworthyfool's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense 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? Yes

5.0

A must-read for any queer kids who dreamed about Neverland.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Grief

Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping

There is a happy ending