Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

59 reviews

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

hexedmaiden's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Homophobia

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Suicide

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

shauna_grenead's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Persevere on this one. I took a bit to get going, but now that I’ve finished I appreciate the work the author put in and how it challenges the reader to reflect on their own thoughts and ideas about being human, our society, history, sexuality, racism, and identity. I love the tie to nature and appreciate the different ways to explore Vern’s metamorphosis.

Having said all this, it is not one for the faint of heart. The writing is beautifully raw and grotesque. I don’t believe I fit the target audience for Sorrowland. I’m glad I read it anyway. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Colonisation

Minor: Suicide

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

tamaralh7's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Suicide

ehmannky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

A beautiful book that meditates on the concepts of intergenerational trauma, systemic violence, the horrors of repeating abusive cycles and the pain of breaking away from them, and the healing power of queerness when it is allowed to thrive. Vern is spectacularly brutal and loving character, bringing to mind characters found in Octavia Butler's Parable duology. I loved the use of the supernatural to ponder violence, especially as it pertains to the United States and the government and how there's not really a place within the confines of this land that is free from this violence so long as you're in contact with other humans.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicide

zombiezami's review against another edition

5.0

This was mesmerizing. The characters and the narrative were so amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Minor: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Colonisation

Intersexism

nonidude's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Child death, Drug use, Genocide, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

casdelvo's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Trafficking, and Religious bigotry