Reviews tagging 'Grief'

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

46 reviews

veelaughtland's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Suicide

radtj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

I really liked the author’s take on what it means to be human and time as a construct of humanity. This book leaves you with some unanswered questions, but it’s the feeling the book leaves you with that feels more important. The format and voice the author writes in compels you to be just as curious as the main character, and it definitely gives you some interesting topics to think about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, Infertility, Grief, Confinement, Suicide, Physical abuse, and Genocide

allthehopeyouneed's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don’t even know where to start with this review. 

It was a little slow for me at the beginning, as I’m not used to this type of storytelling and usually don’t enjoy reading a first person POV. But about 30 pages and I was totally hooked and engrossed in the mystery that surrounds the story. It was so interesting and made keep hoping that there might be a different end. Despite the fact there’s heavy foreshadowing and plain text throughout the story that says it does not. Which I think really shows how good the story and characters were that I wanted the end to be different even though I knew it wasn’t going to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Suicide, and Body horror

gabbynasty's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Cancer, Body horror, Alcohol, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicide, Blood, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Murder, Infertility, Suicide attempt, and Violence

iwishihadmoretimetoread's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Blood, Death, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

elienore's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Death

Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

Minor: Medical content and Physical abuse

cloroxcrew's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Infertility, Death, Suicide attempt, and Confinement

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Torture, Violence, and Blood

hilarylouise's review against another edition

hopeful slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Infertility and Suicide

Minor: Miscarriage and Cancer

Forced imprisonment

flashandoutbreak's review

challenging dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Blood, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Murder

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Some thought provoking statements throughout the book!

Intriguing story that gave me darker “unbreakable kimmy Schmidt” vibes. There’s no real answers to why the women are held, where they are, etc which I didn’t love or hate. It made sense for the story to not give us answers but I don’t always enjoy books like that either.

I enjoyed it enough, and can understand why others love the book. It’s a character driven book and the pace of the story jumps around a lot through time, skipping years at a time. Overall not a bad book and one I may dwell on for some time!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Confinement, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Cancer, and Suicide