Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe

7 reviews

honeyvenom's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense

• 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Dementia, Stalking, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Medical content and Abortion

laurenbeth99's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Medical content

mfrisk's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

This read was hit or miss for me - I enjoyed the strong women characters and the portrayal of complicated family relationships. I enjoyed the gothic elements and portrayal of the sea and the darkness it holds for our characters but this felt like it was building to something more and it just didn’t get there for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

gg2019's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abandonment and Alcohol

lianavalente's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy

gcreed13's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

They Drown Our Daughters is as much about a curse on a family as it is about generational trauma and mother-daughter relationships. Katrina Monroe utilizes multiple timelines to showcase the cascading effects that the wrongful death of a child years ago, manifesting as a string of tragedy on Cape Disappointment.

The ocean is as much of a character as any of the ones we follow in the book. If the sea scares you (and you like being scared), it might be worth picking up for that alone. The imagery is reminiscent of the phenomenon known as the call of the void, and utilizes intrusive thoughts as a way to actualize the family curse.

I feel the book could have done a better job outlining the complexities of the mother-daughter relationships showcased throughout the book, particularly with Meridith and Judith. We hear a lot about Meredith's mixed feelings about her mother, but we aren't given much in the way of backstory (a "show don't tell" mindset would have improved this greatly). It feels like a missed opportunity that leaves Judith's character feeling flat.

Though I appreciate the thematic connection made with the reveal of the true antagonist of the story, Gina's storyline, and thus the last 1/4 of the book, was the weakest part of the novel for me. The momentum shift reduced the efficacy of the payoff for me.

The ending may be fairly divisive, but I enjoy authors that take risks with their characters.

Some elements could have been executed better, but overall this was still an enjoyable read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Pregnancy