Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Była sobie rzeka by Diane Setterfield

65 reviews

kcmg710's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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

The best word I can think of to describe this book is magical, it’s literally on the cover!

I’ve fallen in love with the characters and can’t imagine continuing life without them. I’m actually grieving finishing this book. 

The writing was so beautiful. I loved every minute of this book. 

I’ll admit it was abit tricky keeping up with everybody’s different stories because of the multiple POVS? (I think that’s the right term) however these are my favourite type of books, I love piecing it all together. It kinda reminds me of the starless sea (which I also loved) but if you found yourself not enjoying them maybe this book isn’t for you. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Racism and Sexism

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

kcwillcox's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death

cookiecat73's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

superiour_medium's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

I think this book, like many in the fantasy genre of magical realism, has a tendency to take twice as long to explain something as it needs to. While the ensemble of characters is daunting at first, the stories all knit together quite well in a way that feels satisfying (if at times a bit improbable). In all honesty, I would have given this a 4.75 except for one, in my eyes, major problem: the author REPEATEDLY uses the g-slur in reference to a group of Romani people who live up the river from Radcot. I understand that this term was used contemporarily (I think the book takes place in the 1870's?) but there were definitely better ways to refer to these people especially knowing the term was a racist misidentification from centuries prior to the book's setting in time. 

On a similar note, one of the ancillary antagonists Mrs. Eavis (spelling?) is stated repeatedly to have a very pronounced nose. Eavis is a cruel

landlady/madame of the Brothel where Robin's wife is found dead

, and her villainy also continues during the

harvest faire when she claims publicly that The Child is Robin's

. I wouldn't have thought too much about the nose being used as a characteristic if not for the existing troubles re:Romani ethnic populations, so the hints of Romaphobia compounded to make me genuinely wonder if this was potentially slightly veiled antisemitism? I may be reading too far into things, but a certain British author always in the news has made me suspicious of even the most subtle signs.

Overall a fine venture into magical realism, but with some truncation & slightly greater cultural sensitivity could be a great story. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Ableism and Racism

rey_reads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, and Racism

cutepatzie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I like it. As I just started reading magic realism recently. This book was good. I enjoy it. Love all of the characters. The story is very interesting. Surprisingly it was very easy to read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

jmitchell20's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

Slow to start. Plot doesn't really pick up until half way through. Then the separate threads start to intertwine and it gets more interesting. Bit of magical realism too which I enjoyed. 
 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, and Grief

sofipitch's review against another edition

mysterious slow-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? No

3.75

This book was pretty slow to start but I did get invested after a while but the ending to me was lacking. I feel like there was a weird emphasis on having biological children and it's importance and I didn't like that, especially

as a female character who didn't want to have kids for very good reasons has her mind changed bc the man she fell in love with does. Just 😑. Like I really liked the character of Armstrong and I was literally in TEARS when he was describing his childhood and his desire to be a great father to his adopted son, only for the story to say "but that didn't matter, being evil was in the son's genes" uh what, are you kidding me?

Also the river was used as a recurrent theme and symbol throughout but it could be pretty heavy handed at times. Otherwise I liked the prose

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death and Grief

Minor: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Abandonment

yaizacanopoli's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Sexual harassment