Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

89 reviews

osden's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Genuinely beautiful, complicated, truthful in the way fiction can be. The kind of book where you want to linger in the world and how reading it felt even after it ends 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Difficult topics but addressed in a way that is realistic, never gratuitous, and that overcomes.

the_true_monroe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely did not predict where this book was going. While I was very confused initially about what was real and not real, that confusion I had actually made a lot of sense as the book went on. While historical dates are noted, the present year is never stated. The timelessness this creates is haunting given major themes in the book surround the injustices and horrors faced by marginalized communities that never cease to end (racism, homophobia, genocide), since the driving forces are never held accountable regardless of how many times they are exposed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Infertility, and Terminal illness

rainbowbrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism

redtailedhawk90's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

Sorrowland is a science-fiction novel about a child raised in a cult who, pregnant with her cult-leader's children, runs away from the compound that has been her entire life. She raised her kids in the woods for years before changes to her body (NOT of the normal variety) force her to seek outside help. All the way, she is stalked and manipulated by a Fiend who wants to drag her back to the compound.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Blood

virgilsinferno's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Sexual content

Moderate: Pedophilia

turtlebrainlibrarian's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Homophobia, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

cleot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Suicide

human experimentation and parasitism are central themes

readsforlove's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Check the content warnings, please. There really should be some in the book.

It's still too fresh but review is coming. For now I'll just say that this book digs into you and changes you. It's like nothing I've ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Child abuse

whimsylee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

An incredible and nuanced look at institutional racism, white supremacy, difference/othering,  and being a queer black mother in the USA. Rivers Solomon is an amazing writer. The sci-fi elements of this story perfectly complement the themes and the author’s overall message. I fell in love with so many of these deeply human characters and my heart was ripped out over and over again. I highly recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Mass/school shootings, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation

autumnalis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail