Reviews tagging 'Death'

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

12 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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, and Racism

Moderate: Death and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

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

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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

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

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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

dogearedandfurry's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Deportation

Moderate: Rape

risemini's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Deportation

useyourgoodeye's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

This book was better as I kept reading. The writing was great with details but not a lot of character backstory or information below the surface. It almost seems like a list of characters but no real substance. The subject is very interesting and I would have loved more follow up and character plots.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Mental illness, and Racism

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

lottie1803's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Deportation

kk_gotit_goinon's review against another edition

dark emotional informative slow-paced

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

2.0

 Nothing happens in this book. I feel that there's no nuance or anything deeper. It just is what it is. The eugenics parts can be interesting if you know the history and the details of it,  but I don't think you'll get it if you haven't heard of it/don't have a science background where you learned a lot about it. I couldn't get attached to any of the characters, I felt bad for them but I didn't fall in love either. It's a quick listen at least. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

brynpemery's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Deportation

Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Pregnancy