Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

79 reviews

quabbityash's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Torture

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Racism, and Blood

serena_hien's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

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

sadhbhprice's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Slavery, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

plantybooklover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

 This book is a challenge. It is beautifully written, complex. It's a total mash up- Sci Fi, Fantasy, Horror.   
Overview:  Vern escapes a cult known as Cain -Land as a pregnant teen. She births twins in the woods and chooses an extrordinarily difficult path to raise them while avoiding those from the compound who pursue her. Vern develops supernatural powers and features and must work to understand and control them. 
  This book- though under 400 pages packs a punch to the gut.  I was struck by the massive amount of references to both great black literature, and intense black American traumatic events.  While I caught a lot of them, I'm sure I missed more.  
   I would have enjoyed reading this slower, with a group, but... I finished it up for the Trans Right Readathon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gore, Sexual violence, Blood, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Infertility, Medical content, and Religious bigotry

mayarobinson831's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-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, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Homophobia, Racism, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

calamitydane's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

5.0

This book was fascinating start to finish. The themes, the voice, the settings, the characters were all engrossing and captivating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

transgender

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intersex

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lesbian

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

irenetrexqueen's review against another edition

Just too heavy for me right now. May try to return done the road. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Blood, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

buhdumbitch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail