Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

19 reviews

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

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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. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Child death and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death and Racism

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

seventhswan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This Other Eden is heartbreakingly bleak almost from start to finish; honestly, I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I knew just how *sad* it was going to be. From the first few pages, I felt afraid for the characters as they were introduced, knowing from the blurb and the true story this is based on that a distressing ending was inevitable. And I so quickly grew to love the characters - my initial worries that there would be too many to keep track of were unfounded. Esther in particular was so compelling and I could have read an entire book just about her.

I don't know how to describe how affecting this story was, or how well-written. It doesn't rely on graphic descriptions of any of the horrors that befall the inhabitants of Apple Island, but the way they are alluded to and couched in figurative language is somehow worse. I can't not recommend this book, but it isn't one I expect to want to return to for a very long time.

Audrey Magee's The Colony on steroids, or perhaps tranquillisers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Incest, and Racism

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Rape, and Violence

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

loiscarlisle's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy

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

bessadams's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racism, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Incest, Rape, and Forced institutionalization