Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq

18 reviews

wanderonwards's review

challenging dark sad slow-paced

2.0

This is probably one I should not have picked up, but here we are. While the poetry itself was often stunning (and, if you are going to pick this up, I definitely recommend the audiobook version read by the author), there was just so much else I didn't enjoy. Other reviewers have mentioned that they'd be interested in reading more poetry by this author but not another novel, and that's kind of how I feel after finishing this blend of both.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

maddireads13's review

challenging fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy

kmerrow's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense

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

5.0

No one who can listen to the audiobook should be doing anything but that. I'm sure it is an interesting read, but the audio is something other-wordly. I have never heard someone give themselves entirely to an audiobook in this way, and most if not all chapters are lead out by Tanya Tagaq's throat singing. She imbues the words with so much emotion and her tone shifts appropriately throughout. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to listen to this book read by the author.

Note: it is NSFW or literally any other environment so you want to listen with headphones on or somewhere with thick walls.

That being said, this is undoubtedly the weirdest, most fucked up thing I've ever read. And I mean that as a term of endearment. It also makes it fucking real. This writing is unapologetic. She writes in such a poetic and at times whimsical way, sometimes about truly horrific things. It is fantastical while also dealing with very hard realities like child sexual abuse, which is an overriding theme. It is extremely sexually explicit, whether detailing abuse, consensual sex, sex with animals, and even the northern lights.

If you're easily offended or squeamish, this is not the one for you, but I'd still recommend it to you because it's unforgettable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, and Colonisation

kodi_rae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

Part autobiography, part narrative fiction, part magical realism, etc. with some tough themes about SA, trauma, etc. One of the things that makes “Split Tooth” beautiful is the way Tagaq talks about the environment, animal spirits, the northern lights, etc. and how it ties into the narrative and cultural beliefs and practices. I read in other reviews that if you listen to the audiobook she narrates it herself and incorporates throat singing between each section which I imagine would lend itself to a whole new, raw experience. I think it would be worth revisiting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Terminal illness

eggboy397's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

gorgeous and so painful. the audiobook was incredible, the throat singing between chapters  just added to the dark and poetic story being told

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

siriface's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief

Beastiality

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

emory's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad

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

My most succinct reason for disliking this is just that it's not for me. I very much enjoyed the surrealism of the plot, but so much of the book was overshadowed by sections upon sections of what seemed to me to be trite quips trying very hard to be profound and quotable through vague generality. The sections and poems with genuine heart shone through besides, but I couldn't get past the writing, and although a goal of this book seems to be challenging notions of what is natural and sitting with that discomfort, I personally could not get past the recurring upsetting sexual imagery and motifs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Vomit

A few depictions and mentions of, albeit in dreams and myth, bestiality.

mapscitiesandsongs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

2.75

I don't really know how to rate this, since I have the feeling that I didn't even understand half of the book. The prose was certainly interesting and beautiful. I am a bit sad that I couldn't get the audiobook. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Colonisation

Minor: Blood and Grief