Reviews tagging 'Child death'

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

18 reviews

siobhanward's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

NYT Notable Books 2023: 21/100

This book was at that awkward length between novella and novel. I find that books that hover around this length can feel really unbalanced, and unfortunately this was the case for this book. In the first part, it felt like there was no plot, just a long explanation of who was who and how we got to this point. Then, everything happened in the last 50 pages which meant that that first half dragged and the second half happened so quickly that it was hard to keep track of what was happening. The idea was cool but beyond the idea it felt like there wasn't much to the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, and Racism

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy

rachelblair's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy

august_ambrosia's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad

• 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? Yes

5.0

good lord. what a book. absolute poetry from start to end it was... musical. absolutely loved the lists of adjectives and focus on art and ambiguity present because it made the moments where you were told things so much more poignant. you loved the islanders and hated the settlers and the vignettes from the future were so touching and heartbreaking and i will definitely be reading again and holding it dear to my heart. every islander had their own humanity and all the antagonistic characters did too - and the background characters too and this world was just absolutely TEEMING with life. loved every moment. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Child death and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death

katieryn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Child death, Incest, Racism, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

CWs may not feel triggering but they are present

mahtzahgay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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? No

3.0

The prose was alright – the subject matter absolutely miserable. While I appreciate the care and love given to Apple Island's inhabitants, there's something so deeply depressing about reading a story where eugenics-loving colonisers do what eugenics-loving colonisers do.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

menastarr's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

1.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death and Racism

tatitatetats's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

Longwinded with pauses of poetry. The author's abhorrent disregard for the history of his inspiration leaves the book feeling shallow and hollow, but worst of all deeply disrespectful to the island, it's people and their descendants.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Racism, and Police brutality

Minor: Incest, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Murder

maceydowns's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Incest, Racism, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal death, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Slavery, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and Classism

Minor: Incest

emjbarnes's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Deportation

Moderate: Death, Incest, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Rape